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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22434823">The Raven and the Rose</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Millie1985/pseuds/Millie1985'>Millie1985</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Enjolras Has Feelings, Enjolras Is Bad At Feelings, Enjolras(Tveit), Eponine and Cosette are friends, Eponine and Cosette become sisters, Eponine fights for the poor, Eponine is Robin hood, Eponine is not pining after Marius, Eponine(Barks), F/M, Friends Supporting Friends, Friendship is as important as romance, Jean Valjean loves both of his daughters equally, Jean Veljean is a father of two, Marius and Cosette are too cute, Marius is not as oblivius as he seems, Or is she Zoro, Sisters standing together, Some fighting but not described in detail, brave Cosette, not gory, protective Eponine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 09:47:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,899</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22434823</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Millie1985/pseuds/Millie1985</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Eponine’s protective nature demands that she treat Cosette with kindness rather than cruelty she unwittingly changes the course of not only Cosette’s life but her own as well. In the care of Jean Valjean Eponine grows to become a protector of the poor and a beacon of rebellion, she is both the Raven and the Rose but can she play these two rolls and live to tell the tale.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cosette Fauchelevent/Marius Pontmercy, Enjolras/Éponine Thénardier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have never written a Les Misérables story before but this story has been stuck in my head for literally years. The idea’s you will find in here are the result of a conversation I had with Nan after watching the film together. We talked about how one small change might have led to another and another until you were left with a totally different story than the one you started with. My Nan passed away just over two years ago and I always planned to write a story for her as she was so encouraging of my writing but I haven’t felt like I was able to do so before now, so here it is in honour of Nan my first Les Misérables story.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter one<br/>
A promise made</p>
<p>As a child Eponine Thenardier was happy with her lot in life, she loved the Inn that she called home and she truly adored her parents who owned it. Her Mother and Father never left her wanting for anything and even the guests of the tavern were kind enough to leave small trinkets for her when they moved on.<br/>
It would be years before she would come to see the Thenardier’s for who they really were and come to realize that those gifts had not been left for her willingly. Eponine was a bright child but love and devotion can blind even the most observant among us.</p>
<p>If Cosette had not come into their care Eponine might have remained blind to the evils of her parents but even at a young age she understood that anyone who mistreated a child could not be as good as they pretended to be. </p>
<p>Her parent’s poor treatment of Cosette was bad enough but their almost feverish insistence that Eponine adopt the same attitude was even worse. The Thenardier’s hated it when their darling girl would sully herself by treating their serving girl like she was her equal. They took to punishing her to for doing so, first by locking her in her room for a time, then when that failed, they started to give her beatings. They were never as hard on her as they were on poor Cosette but those punishments were enough for Eponine to see just how rotten her parents truly were.</p>
<p>The Thenardier’s couldn’t understand why Eponine continued to befriend Cosette despite their punishments. They never would have understood even if she had explained herself to them, because Eponine had something that they didn’t, a sense of honour.</p>
<p>What Eponine refused to tell her parents was that on the day Cosette had arrived she had made a promise to Cosette’s Mother, Fantine. They had given the woman many assurances while not meaning one of them but Eponine had sworn to watch over the little girl and once Eponine gave her word she never went back on it. No matter how hard her promise was to fulfil or how many people told her to forget it, Eponine would persevere.</p>
<p>She had seen Fantine twice that day but she had only spoken to her once. In the morning when Cosette and her Mother had arrived Eponine was on her way to visit her friend Marius who lived with his Grandfather in the nearby manor. He was a sweet boy that her Mother had encouraged her to befriend when he first came to town. She would later learn her parents intended to use her friendship with Marius as a cover to rob his Grandfather, that was the first of their plans she had actively foiled and she had paid dearly for it too.</p>
<p>Being a young boy of the nobility Marius was taught many lessons that he would pass on to Eponine when she visited him to play. His Grandfather didn’t really approve but as Eponine was Marius’s only friend he endured her visits for the boy’s sake.</p>
<p>Eponine was on her way up to the big house when a pretty lady and her daughter entered the inn. As she returned the Lady was leaving but the girl was no longer with her.</p>
<p>“Excuse me Mademoiselle” Eponine called out “did you forget your little girl?”.</p>
<p>The woman gave a small, sad smile before answering “No I didn’t forget her” she assured Eponine “I must travel to find work, Cosette is going to stay here with you and your parents” she explained.</p>
<p>“Is she going to be my Sister?” Eponine asked with an enthusiasm that only a child could muster.</p>
<p>The lady, Fantine sat down on the steps of the inn to talk to the young girl. “I would like that very much” she said “it would ease my heart to know Cosette had a Sister to watch over her and I think she would like that too”. Fantine’s smile was a little brighter as she explained “a Sister can be a friend and protector like no other” she whispered as if she was imparting a great secret to Eponine.</p>
<p>“Then Cosette will be my Sister” Eponine announced, she liked the idea of having another friend beside Marius and while she wasn’t sure she thought she could do a good job of taking care of the smaller girl. “I promise we will be the very best of friends and I will look after her” she swore as solemnly as one so young could.</p>
<p>“I believe you will” Fantine breathed a sigh of relief, leaving Cosette was the most difficult thing she had ever done but knowing she was leaving her Daughter with a friend like Eponine by her side made it a little easier.</p>
<p>When she left that day Fantine had no way of knowing what the fates had in store for her or Cosette. She couldn’t have known she would never see her beloved Daughter again nor could she have guessed just how fiercely Eponine would protect the girl she came to see as her little Sister.</p>
<p>Eponine was five when Cosette arrived while Cosette was only four years old. While their relationship began with Eponine being Cosette’s protector and providing her with comfort when she missed her Mama, it quickly developed into a deep and true sisterhood. There was nothing that either girl would not do for the other and their closeness could rival that of any biological siblings.</p>
<p>This friendship would be tested many times over the years but none could come between the girls not even Cosette’s saviour though he came closer than any other before him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here is chapter two, my plan is to post a chapter per weekend until the whole story is up but you know what they say about the best laid plans and all that, so we will just have to wait and see I suppose. This chapter was fun to write and I may or may not have hidden a few future characters in it, some are better hidden than others so let me know if you spot them. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter two<br/>A promise kept</p>
<p>The night that changed both Cosette and Eponine’s lives was the coldest that either of them could recall. Snow lay thick on the ground and any warmth that the weak winter sun had provided had disappeared hours ago when night had fallen. The bitter wind that had been battering the Thenardier’s tavern all day became even crueller in the dark, it blew so hard that Cosette feared the glass panes might be blown clean out of the windows.</p>
<p>Eponine had been sent up to her cosy bed with a warm drink but not Cosette. She had been sent out into the cold to fetch water from the well, Cosette was scared to be out in the woods alone but she was more afraid of making Madame Thenardier mad, so with no shawl or shoes she set out into the frozen woods.</p>
<p>In that moment Cosette could not suppress a pang of jealousy, oh badly she wished to swap places with Eponine. <br/>No sooner had that thought entered Cosette’s mind than it was chased away by a rush of guilt. Eponine did as much for Cosette as a nine-year-old in her situation could and her life was not all that easy either.</p>
<p>The Thenardier’s business had started to fail and Eponine’s Father was making much less effort to hide his illegal activities, he has begun to gather a gang of thieves around himself and on top of that he was beginning to pull Eponine into his schemes as well.</p>
<p>Thenardier had trained Eponine in every form of thievery he knew, from faking injuries to beg for money all the way up to helping herself to someone’s money by picking their pocket. Eponine didn’t enjoy her Father’s lessons and did not want to steal however once he introduced the if you don’t steal you don’t eat rule, she had little choice but to comply. Eponine probably would have held out for longer had Thenardier not included Cosette in his rule, he was not a foolish man and he knew the best way to motivate his Daughter.</p>
<p>The worst of Thenardier’s lessons had been only weeks ago he had taken Eponine to Paris, which was hours away from the inn and left her there to find her own way home.</p>
<p>Cosette was beside herself with worry when she over heard what the vile man had done, Madame Thenardier was not happy either. She had screamed at her husband that he was only meant to be teaching their Daughter her way around. Thenardier had actually cackled with glee when he explained to the distraught Mother just how quickly Eponine had learnt to traverse the streets of Paris, he claimed it was like she had been doing it all her life and he had decided she needed a challenge.</p>
<p>He left his only child alone in a city she had never visited before and he seemed to think that was a good thing, Cosette couldn’t believe him.</p>
<p>Madam Thenardier had sobbed for hours and begged the man to go back for Eponine, when he refused, she wailed that the girl was gone forever and Cosette feared that she was right, thankfully she was not. </p>
<p>By some miracle Eponine was home before sun down, a rich family with a son not much older than Eponine had passed her on the road, a few other carriages had already rolled by and done nothing but splatter her with mud as they went, so she had been surprised when one had actually stopped. </p>
<p>Eponine had explained she had lost her Father in Paris and she was attempting to walk all the way home; the Father of the family was happy to leave her to her trek but the Mother didn’t like it and the Son was not having it. He had insisted that they would take her home and he had entertained her through out the long journey. </p>
<p>Once she was safely home Eponine shared all of his tales with Cosette. Some of them were stories that the girls already knew but Eponine explained that the way the pretty blond boy had told them made them sound like she had never heard them before. He had a way with words but eventually he ran out of fables to tell, so he found another way to entertain his unexpected traveling companion.  His Mother gave him a handful of her writing paper and with her help he folded each piece into a rose for Eponine. By the end of the journey she had a whole bouquet of them and she swore to Cosette that her paper roses made all of her fears over being lost worth it.</p>
<p>Cosette didn’t believe her friend’s bravado for a moment but for Eponine’s sake she pretended that she did. The older girl liked people to think she was tough so Cosette had little choice but to play along with her.</p>
<p>The more she thought about it the surer Cosette became that she didn’t want to be Eponine but she didn’t want to be herself either or at least she didn’t want to be living her current life. She didn’t wish Eponine’s life on her either, she used to dream of an escape for both of them.</p>
<p>She would imagen the beautiful lady from the castle on a cloud swooping in and taking her and Eponine to a lovely place where there were no floors to scrub and no pockets to pick but as Cosette got older and the kindly woman faded further from her mind she took those dreams with her, now the girl was only left with a comforting lullaby.</p>
<p>“Cosette” a voice hissed from above her. Instinctively the youngster cringed and shut her eyes tight, she expected it to be Madame Thenardier hollering at her, the woman really did hate to be kept waiting.</p>
<p>“Oh Cosette” the voice called again, much softer this time. Cosette risked glancing up and was relived to see Eponine leaning out of her bedroom window. “What are you doing down there?” Eponine asked her gently.</p>
<p>“Madame sent me to fetch water from the well” Cosette explained, holding up the almost rotten bucket for her friend to see.</p>
<p>“Alone? I the dark?” Eponine sounded shocked but Cosette didn’t know why her Mother’s actions still surprised Eponine, nothing either of the Thenardier’s could do would surprise Cosette any more. “Wait there” Eponine ordered before disappearing back through her window.</p>
<p>Moments later Eponine was climbing down from her room despite Cosette’s whispered demands that she go back. The dark-haired girl studiously ignored her fair-haired friend as she used the jagged stones that made up the old buildings wall as if they were a ladder to reach the ground below with barely a sound. Looped over one of Eponine’s arms was a wicker basket, Cosette could tell it was filled with something but she wasn’t sure what.</p>
<p>As soon as Eponine was at Cosette’s side she began pulling items from the basket and giving them to the other girl. She had bought a bonnet, a cloak and some shoes down with her, all of them were Eponine’s old things that were getting too small for her but they were still a bit too big for Cosette.</p>
<p>“Put these on” Eponine urged, pushing the cloak into Cosette’s arms and dropping the shoes at her feet. “Come on Cosette” Eponine encouraged placing the bonnet on her friends head her herself when the other girl refused to move. “Do you want to freeze?” Eponine asked briskly, starting to lose patients with Cosette.</p>
<p>“Ponine, I can’t” Cosette protested, trying to give the cloak back to its rightful owner. “If your parents ever find out-” she trailed off with a shudder, unable or unwilling to imagen just how angry the Thenardier’s would get over Eponine’s kind gesture.</p>
<p>“They won’t find out” Eponine assured the younger girl throwing the cloak over Cosette’s shoulders. “Now hurry” she pressed pulling her own cloak tighter around herself, it was getting colder with every passing second and Eponine dreaded to think what would have happened to Cosette if she really had ended up out in the woods all alone.</p>
<p>Thankfully Cosette seemed to be done arguing and was slipping her feet into the shoes that Eponine had given her, they were definitely too big for the smaller girl but at least they would provide her with some protection against the cold. </p>
<p>Eponine stashed her basket in the bushes beside the tavern, then she moved to help Cosette with the bucket, it really was too big for one small child to carry alone and that was before there was any water in it to add to the weight.</p>
<p>The further into the woods the two girls went the colder the night seemed to get. Eponine had taken care to wrap herself up warm before slipping out of her room and she had given Cosette the warmest clothes she could find but they still found themselves shivering with every step they took.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you sing your song Cosette?” Eponine suggested when she was sure they were a safe distance from the inn. She hoped singing would raise the other girl’s spirits even if it did nothing to warm her up.</p>
<p>Cosette remained silent for a long moment and Eponine thought her friend was going to refuse her request but then just as the well came into sight the blond began to hum the familiar tune and Eponine was quick to join in. she had heard the song so many times over the years that she had come to know it as well as Cosette herself did.</p>
<p>Singing to one another they worked together to haul the now full bucket from the well. That was how Jean Valjean found the two girls that would change his life just as much as he changed theirs.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for taking the time to read, I would love to know what you think so far. Thanks again Millie xXx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, chapter 3 ended up being a bit of a long one, I’m not planning to keep all the chapters all similar lengths. I’m going to end each one as and when it feels right to do so. I’m hoping that not too many will be any longer than this but I can’t make any promises, I guess we will just have to see how we go. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, it’s one of my personal favourites.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 3<br/>Two little birds</p><p> </p><p>Cosette was the first to notice the stranger approaching them, she promptly dropped the heavy bucket, splashing both her and Eponine with its icy contents.</p><p>Eponine tuned to Cosette wondering what was wrong with her friend but before she could ask any questions Cosette grabbed her hand and started to run. With the tiny blond pulling desperately on her hand Eponine followed the other girls lead without hesitation, she too abandoned the bucket and took off at a run.</p><p>Cosette knew neither she nor Eponine would be able to out run a full-grown man, so she pulled her friend to a stop at the first large tree they reached, the two girls crouched low, quickly hiding among the trees gnarled roots. From their hiding place they could still see the man but he would have to look carefully to find them. The girls lay still as stones and watched to see what he would do.</p><p>Cosette was astonished when instead of chasing after them the stranger simply retrieved and refilled the old bucket they had left behind. Once he had the full bucket in hand the man turned in their direction and called out to them with quiet reassurances before gently walking towards them. He promised that they had no reason to fear him and despite all the liars and cheats the girls had encountered in their short lives they found themselves believing he spoke the truth.</p><p>Cosette was the first to emerge from her hiding place but Eponine was quick to follow, she was also quick to tuck Cosette behind her, being sure to keep herself between the younger girl and any hidden danger that the man may present.</p><p>Valjean smiled softly at the girl’s bravery, he recalled a time when he as a young boy would have done much the same to protect his younger Sister. He slowly knelt before the girls and offered them a genuine smile, possibly his first in years.</p><p>“Tell me children, what are your names?” he enquired softly.</p><p>The smaller of the two was the first to speak up “I’m called Cosette” she told him, confirming what he already suspected, he could see Fantine in her face.</p><p>“I’m Eponine” the more stoic of the two girls added. Valjean got the impression that she really didn’t want to trust him with even that much information but she was prepared to follow Cosette’s example.</p><p>“Well Ladies” he said sweeping his hat off of his head and bowing as best he could while still on his knees “may I help you home with your bucket?”</p><p>Eponine still seemed reluctant but Cosette was already beaming at him, clearly glad they would no longer have to drag the bucket home between them.<br/>The walk from the woods back to the Inn seemed to pass much quicker than their trek out there had and both girls found their new friend to be pleasant company.</p><p>Eponine had been extremely weary of him to begin with but the longer they walked with him and the more he talked to them the clearer she came to see him. While this man may have been a stranger before tonight, she couldn’t help but trust him more than she had most others in her life.</p><p>Her Father had spent a long time teaching her how to read people, to figure out their weaknesses and to find the easiest mark to run a scam on. As much as Eponine hated those lessons she had still excelled at them, understanding people it seemed was something she was just meant to be good at.</p><p>Watching the man from the wood carrying their bucket in one hand while letting Cosette swing off of the other, Eponine had to admit he seemed to be a truly good man.</p><p>“Oh Eponine, look!” Cosette cried running from Valjean’s side to gaze into the window of the nearest shop. An assortment of toys littered the display but he could already see where Cosette’s gaze had landed, in the very centre of the window was a beautiful doll and the young girl’s face lit up just looking at it. “Ponine, she’s still there” Cosette sighed almost pressing her face to the glass.</p><p>Valjean was surprised when Eponine raced towards the window with just as much excitement as Cosette. In the short time he had known the girl it was the first time he had seen her truly act like a child. On their way out of the wood Cosette had skipped and jumped and swung on his arm while Eponine had walked sedately at his side, she had clearly been enjoying the other girl’s happiness but she had also remained vigilant of her surroundings.</p><p>Valjean couldn’t help but wonder what kind of lives these girls had been living, whatever they had been forced to deal with they had obviously faced it together yet their sheared experiences had somehow moulded them into two very different individuals.</p><p>“Oh, the bear is still there too” Eponine said pointing to a stuffed toy tucked away at the back of the display, it was not as grand as the doll but in its own way it was just as beautiful.</p><p>“Come along girls” Valjean called out he hated to drag them away but he did have matters to see to. “You are almost home” he reassured them but when they both froze on the spot; he knew he had said the wrong thing.</p><p>Cosette looked up and saw the man was right, just beyond where he stood was the Tavern. Eponine’s smile that had been so bright a moment ago was gone now she looked very sad and a little guilty.</p><p>“It’s alright Ponine” Cosette smiled encouragingly at her friend “we are almost home” she said repeating the man’s words before removing her borrowed cloak and bonnet. She pressed them into the other girl’s arms and gave her a little push towards the Inn. “Go on, before you are caught” she ordered. Eponine gave Cosette a quick hug then ran back to the bush where she had hidden her basket earlier in the night.</p><p>Valjean watched in complete shock as Eponine took away the warm cloths and hid them. His shock only deepened when she scaled the wall of the Tavern and let herself in through one of the top most windows instead of using the wide-open front door.</p><p>“Eponine’s not meant to help me” Cosette told him sadly as she returned to his side “she’s not meant to share with me or be my friend” she explained “please don’t tell him or Madame you saw her with me, they will be very mad” she pleaded.</p><p>Cosette gave a small shudder, Valjean didn’t know if it was due to the cold or fear of what awaited her in the Tavern but he decided then and there that if denying all knowledge of Eponine was what was best for both her and Cosette then that was wat he would do.</p><p>“Don’t worry” Valjean said taking Cosette’s hand he gave it a reassuring squeeze “all will be well” he promised as they resumed their walk.</p><p>The Innkeeper and his wife met them in the doorway and Valjean all but threw their bucket at them. He explained how he had found Cosette lost and alone in the woods he also explained about Fantine’s sad fate and how he was now responsible for Cosette. He offered to pay off any debt that Fantine had outstanding and watched as the Thenardier’s eyes shone with greed.</p><p>Once they were all inside the Tavern the negotiations started, not that Valjean was really prepared to negotiate, he would pay any amount that the crooks asked as long as he could leave with Cosette in his safe keeping.</p><p>He offered a large sum and they raised it twice but eventually the Thenardier’s agreed to let the girl go.</p><p>Valjean had expected Cosette to be somewhat reluctant to leave, having met Eponine and having witnessed the closeness between the two girls he understood it but he hadn’t expected to be reluctant to leave himself.</p><p>He had set out to save Cosette and he had but now leaving Eponine to suffer the Thenardier’s alone felt wrong but they were her parents and this was her home, her situation was completely different from Cosette’s. With a heavy heart Valjean excepted there was nothing her could do for Eponine.</p><p>Cosette was thankful to be escaping the Thenardier’s and their Inn but the thought of leaving without even saying goodbye to Eponine hurt even more than the news of her mother’s death had.</p><p>As Valjean lifted Cosette up onto his hip he spotted Eponine watching from the stairs at the back of the room, she had obviously heard and seen everything, she knew what was happening. Cosette was going away, she was leaving Eponine behind and how did Eponine react? Did she scream and cry at the unfairness of the world? No, she smiled bravely and gave Cosette an encouraging little wave. His heart both went out to the girl and burnt with shame at the same time.</p><p>Valjean paused his departure to at least allow the girls to share this last moment but as he stood there something happened, something simple and yet life changing.</p><p>One of Cosette’s shoes slipped off of her foot and landed on the floor of the Inn with a dull thud. The Thenardier’s were too busy inspecting the notes Valjean had given them to notice but the terror that flashed across both Eponine and Cosette’s faces at the small noise told Valjean the whole story.</p><p>The shoes were not Cosette’s at all they were Eponine’s just like the cloak and bonnet had been. She had risked the wrath of her parents for the good of Cosette and he was going to reward her bravery by abandoning her to her fate.</p><p>Valjean couldn’t do that, he couldn’t just leave her, he had convinced himself he could but he couldn’t. Eponine needed saving just as much as Cosette did and Jean Valjean would never forgive himself if he didn’t at least try to help her.</p><p>Valjean gently placed Cosette down onto the ground and stepped in front of her so that she could discreetly slip the fallen shoe back onto her foot. “Who is this?” he enquired brightly, pretending to have only just noticed Eponine.</p><p>“This is our daughter, Eponine” Madame Thenardier said, holding her hand out to the girl encouraging her to approach. The smile that the woman gave Eponine held a huge amount of genuine affection and was the complete opposite of the empty hugs and kisses she had almost smothered Cosette moments ago.</p><p>Whatever faults Madame Thenardier may have, not loving her own Daughter clearly wasn’t one of them, convincing the woman to part with the child would be difficult.</p><p>Apparently getting the girl’s Father to agree to let her leave wouldn’t be hard at all as he readily offered her up. “You can have her too, if you want but she will cost twice as much” he said offhandedly while still counting the money Valjean had paid for Cosette.</p><p>Madame Thenardier was clearly infuriated by his suggestion, she clutched her Daughter close to her and hissed at her Husband, who pulled both her and Eponine away out of earshot.</p><p>Valjean and Cosette could only watch as the Thenardier’s agued back and froth over Eponine’s head, eventually the Innkeeper and his Wife both calmed down and it seemed an arrangement had been reached. The couple crouched down and talked with Eponine briefly before returning to where Cosette and Valjean stood waiting.</p><p>“My Husband is right” the Madame announced “Eponine is worth twice what you paid for Cosette” she said dropping all pretence him covering Fantine’s debt’s.</p><p>Valjean did all he could to keep his disgust from showing as he paid the price they asked and strode out on the door clasping each of his new daughters by the hand, not one of them looked back as they left.</p><p>Neither Valjean nor the girls spoke until they retched the bush where Eponine had hidden the basket with Cosette’s warm clothes, she asked them to wait while she ran to fetch it and then they continued on to the carriage as if that evening had been like any other.</p><p>Valjean was shocked by how well Eponine was handling the whole experience, he couldn’t understand how she could be so calm after her own parents had sold her, that is until she told him of her last conversation with them.</p><p>They had just reached the carriage when Eponine paused to look back at her forma home with a look that could only be disappointment, Valjean had to know if she was alright.</p><p>“I’m meant to run away from you” the girl explained sadly “I’m supposed to run away and go back to them but I don’t want to” she admitted “I want to stay with Cosette and with you, can I stay? Please can I?” the poor girl begged.</p><p>“Of course, you can my child” Valjean reassured the desperate girl “you are my Daughter now just as Cosette is, we three belong together now” he told her. The hug that he received from both girls was unexpected but not unwelcome.</p><p>Valjean struggled to believe just how much he loved these girls, his Daughters already. He would move heaven and earth if he must to ensure they were happy and safe.</p><p>They had flown into his life like two little birds and changed everything, Cosette his sweet, kind little Lark and Eponine his brave, clever Raven.</p><p>In that moment holding his girls in his arms as they hugged him tight, he knew that had already made his life better, he could only hope that he could do the same for them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for taking the time to read, I would love to know what you think so far. Thanks again Millie xXx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>ok so, my plan to go back to shorter chapters with this instalment apparently fell through, so did my plan to post this on a Sunday but there was nothing I could do about that as storm Ciara blew my internet connection away. Well, that might not be what she technically did but my connection was gone because of her so that how I’m going to explain it. Not that I am complaining because honestly huge parts of the country had it far worse, we are talking floods and roofs being blown off houses worse, so I’m fine with losing my internet for a while. Anyway, now that my tangent about the British weather is over, here is chapter 4, it’s another long one but I hope you enjoy it, as it was fun to write.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 4<br/>A family takes its flight</p>
<p>With it being Christmas Eve Valjean decided the first order of business should be precuring Christmas gifts for the girls and he knew just what to get them. He instructed them to remain in the carriage with their eyes tightly shut, then he disappeared into the toy shop that had so captivated the girls on their walk to the Inn.</p>
<p>“And open” he said both to announce his return and to let them know they could open their eyes now.  </p>
<p>Valjean proudly held the grandly beautiful doll out to Cosette an the softer more simply beautiful bear to Eponine.  Cosette almost pounced on the doll babbling her thanks over and over again. Eponine was wearier of the gifts, as seemed to be her way but she did reach out to stroke the animal’s soft fur.</p>
<p>“Go on, take it” Valjean encouraged her quietly “it’s for you” Eponine quickly grabbed the bear pulled it to her chest and hugged it tight.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Monsieur,” she whispered and Valjean couldn’t help but feel like he had won something by gaining just some small part of her trust.</p>
<p>“I know your lives have been hard” the man said “but you are both safe now” he promised the girls as he climbed into the carriage along with them. “Where I go you will be” he swore, his Lark and Raven would never face the world alone again.</p>
<p>“Will you be like a Papa to us?” it was Cosette that asked the question, oh so innocently but Valjean could see that Eponine wanted to hear the answer just as much as her friend turned Sister did.</p>
<p>“Yes Cosette, this is true, I’ll be Mother and Father to both of you” Valjean replied honestly, he gave each girl a warm smile and was pleasantly surprised when Eponine returned it just as readily as Cosette.</p>
<p>The journey to Paris was a long one and the hour was already late, it didn’t take long for the girls to fall asleep. They had nestled themselves up on the seat opposite Valjean, Eponine was leaning against the carriages padded side while Cosette had curled up on the seat and had her head resting in the other girl’s lap. Neither of them released their hold on their Christmas gifts, they held on to them tight, even as they slept.</p>
<p>Watching his Daughters sleep Valjean was stuck again by just how much he loved them already, they were like two parts of himself that he didn’t know he was missing until now. Their very existence changed the world, it suddenly became a much more beautiful and somehow scarier place.</p>
<p>The girls bought a burst of hope and light into Valjean’s life but did he deserve it? Could he really do what he had promised? He already knew he would lay his life down to protect them but was that enough? Could he keep them safe from the shadows of his own past?</p>
<p>They could never know who he had once been or about the life he used to live, that would be a secret he could never speak of, he would lie to them if he had to but he would never leave them alone.</p>
<p>He had been alone in the world too long and the girls had relied on no on but each other for too many years, now the three of them would face life and its challenges together. Jean Valjean would do what he must, he would make any sacrifices he needed to so long as his Daughters were safe and happy it would all be worth it.</p>
<p>Upon leaving Paris in search of Cosette, Valjean had assumed that finding her would be the hardest part of his task. It hadn’t occurred to him just how difficult and dangerous actually getting her to safety could be, when he noticed guards searching every carriage at the gates, he cursed his lack of foresight.</p>
<p>Of course, Javert would not make returning to Paris easy for Valjean and now he had two children in his care instead of the one he had planned on. </p>
<p>Taking a last look at the girls in their restful state Valjean gently shook them awake. He hated to disturb them but there was no time for sentimentality or regrets, they needed to move, now.</p>
<p>“Cosette, Eponine” he whispered their names urgently. Cosette was slow to stir but Eponine was up and alert almost as soon as her name was uttered. Valjean reached out to take both the doll and the bear from the girls but he only got the doll. Eponine had already tucked her bear safely into the basket that she still carried with her. Valjean hid the doll inside his jacket and with and encouraging smile he hurried the two girls out of the carriage.</p>
<p>Valjean took each of his Daughters by the hand and as quickly and quietly as he could he led them back the way the carriage had come. He was impressed by how well the girls kept pace with him and they soon reached a hole in the city wall. Eponine scampered through the hole without any encouragement, Valjean was just lifting Cosette through when Javert’s voice rang out calling his name and prisoner number, they had been seen.</p>
<p>Once they were on the other side of the wall Valjean caught hold of both girls hands again and took off running. His Daughters were quick and sure footed for their age but they still struggled to keep up with Valjean when he ran at full pelt. Eponine’s basket flailed in the wind nearly throwing her already beloved bear out of it while Cosette lost first one shoe then the other as she tried to keep up.</p>
<p>The hooves of Javert’s horse could be heard clattering behind them as he got ever closer to catching them. Valjean dreaded to think what would become of his girls if he was apprehended, he couldn’t let that happen, he had to remain free for their sake if for no other reason.</p>
<p>“Come girl’s, quickly” he urged them on, desperate to see them safe.</p>
<p>Jumping from a raised walkway to the lower streets of Paris was not the route of escape that Valjean wanted to take with his newly acquired children in tow but it was the only one open to them and he was left with little choice.  </p>
<p>Climbing over the low wall of the walkway the hunted man risked a glance back to see just how close Javert had gotten and he wished he hadn’t. with no time for hesitation he scooped both girls into his arms and jumped. Cosette clung to him desperately while Eponine gave a small scream off fright, it was the first sign of fear he had seen from the braver of the two girls since the chase had begun. </p>
<p>Valjean had to carry Cosette now as she was shoeless but Eponine made no comment as he placed her down on the ground. Carrying one child and leading the other by the hand Valjean crept quietly through the streets, he sacrificed speed for discretion, hoping to avoid the ever-watchful gaze of Inspector Javert.</p>
<p>He found a rope hanging from a lamp and silently praised The Lord as it might just be what he needed to get himself and his charges to safety.</p>
<p>Reaching the outer walls of the Convent that he prayed would provide then all with sanctuary, Valjean knew he had to move quickly. He felt terrible placing the bear footed Cosette down on the cold ground but he had no choice if he was going to save both her and Eponine.</p>
<p>Even as he scaled the Convents wall Valjean felt a swell of fatherly pride as he witnessed Eponine pulling Cosette close to herself in an effort to provide any warmth and comfort that she could.</p>
<p>Once he reached the top of the wall Valjean threw down the rope with whispered instructions to the girls. He told them to tie it around both of their waists so he could pull them up.</p>
<p>Valjean was displeased but not surprised when Eponine disobeyed him. he got the feeling that if their little family made it through the night, she would be the more rebellious of his two children. </p>
<p>Eponine tied the rope firmly around Cosette then handed her basket off to the girl, telling her to hold onto it tight. Then she followed in her Father’s footsteps and began to climb the wall herself, the stones of the Convent wall were smoother than the ones of the Inn had ever been making the task more difficult than Eponine had expected but she could do it, she knew she could.</p>
<p>Valjean called out to Eponine to stop her accent, he was a strong man and he could pull both girls up easily but she would not hear of it and continued her climb. If she regretted her choice when Cosette, still clutching the basket sailed effortlessly past her she would never admit it.</p>
<p>Eponine reached the top of the wall only moments after her Sister, she grinned triumphantly at her Father but her pride, as it so often does came before a fall. Just as she was pulling herself up over the edge of the thick wall, Eponine’s hand slipped and she almost went plummeting back down to the ground.</p>
<p>Her Father’s hand shot out and caught Eponine an instant before she disappeared from his sight. Despite the urgency of their escape, Valjean took a moment to hold both of his girls close and reassure them that all was well, even if that wasn’t strictly true.</p>
<p>Javert was on foot now due to the narrow streets, Valjean could hear him running about below them, calling out both his name and that accursed number he had been forced to live under for so many years. There was no time for him to get himself and the girls down into the Convent’s gardens, so he lay them down on top of the wall, in hopes they would not be seen.</p>
<p>“You must be quiet and still” he ordered softly as he pulled the two of them to his chest and held them there comfortingly. Thankfully both of them listened to him this time, even when the wind began to pick up and blow fiercely around them, neither girl let out so much as a whimper.  When the wind blew even harder and ripped the basket from Cosette’s hand, sending it and its contents tumbling down into the garden of the Convent Eponine’s grip tightened on her Father but still she didn’t make a peep.  </p>
<p>The three of them lay petrified atop the wall for far longer than they probably needed to but Valjean wanted to be sure that Javert really had gone before he risked moving his girls.</p>
<p>Once he had no droughts that the coast was clear he sat up slowly and made sure that the girls were steady on their perches before he made any moves to get them down.  Valjean looped the rope that had formally held just Cosette around both of them and pulled it tight. </p>
<p>“Hold fast to each other” he told them firmly, he was glad when neither of them objected but he hoped that Eponine’s close call hadn’t broken to spirt that he had quickly come to admire in her. “You will be safe on the ground soon” he promised them, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads “just hold each other tight and trust me” he urged them, hoping that they could do as he asked.</p>
<p>Eponine clung to Cosette just as tightly as Cosette held her, for the first time in years she took as much comfort from the other girls embrace as she gave. </p>
<p>As soon as her feet touched down on the soft grass of what appeared to be the Convents cemetery Eponine threw off the rope and raced over to her fallen basket.</p>
<p>The bear had landed a short distance from the basket and his once pristine fur now sported some grass stains from his ruff landing but thankfully, he was otherwise undamaged.</p>
<p>“Eponine, I’m so sorry” Cosette whispered as she helped to gather the cloak and bonnet that had also fallen from the basket when she dropped it. “I tried to hold on to it, honestly I did” she swore.</p>
<p>“It’s alright Cosette” Eponine assured the other girl “It was an accident and there was no harm done” she said holding up the bear for her Sister to see.</p>
<p>Cosette was just handing the basket back to Eponine when she noticed a small cluster of creamy, off white objects nestled in the grass. On closer inspection she was shocked to find she knew exactly what they were.</p>
<p>“Eponine, your roses” she gasped pointing to them. Eponine was confused for a moment but when she saw just what Cosette was trying to show her, understanding dawned.</p>
<p>There scattered across the grass were a handful of the paper roses that the boy in the carriage had made for her the day he had bought her home from Paris. She remembered hiding them away in an old basket so that her Mother wouldn’t take them away from her, she hadn’t even realised that she had grabbed the same basket to ferry Cosette’s warm cloths down to her but she was immensely glad that she had.   </p>
<p>Eponine gathered up her precious roses while Cosette pulled the warm clothes she had just put in the basket back out of it, sure enough beneath the cloak lay the rest of Eponine’s roses. “I think there all here Eponine” she reassured the other girl.</p>
<p>Eponine’s only response was a bright smile but that was enough for Cosette, it seemed to her that both she and Eponine had smiled more that night than they had in all the months that proceeded it.</p>
<p>The girls had just loaded the roses, cloak, bonnet and bear back into the basket when their Father reached the ground. They raced to his side and welcomed him with a hug, glad that he was safe.</p>
<p>Valjean quickly picked Cosette up and wrapped his free arm around Eponine’s shoulders, the worst of the night might be over but they weren’t safe yet, they still needed to find shelter.</p>
<p>Valjean could hear the Sisters of the Convent singing they’re thanks to The Lord. He peered through a door and could see them knelt in prayer, as badly as he needed their help Valjean would not disturb the Nun’s at such a time. Thankfully they were not the only occupants of the Convent still awake.</p>
<p>Valjean and the girls came across a man tending to some of the graves, he seemed familiar to Valjean but he couldn’t place why. The man was clearly startled by hearing Valjean approach.  He raised his shovel ready to weald it as a weapon if he needed to. “Who’s there?” he demanded in a whisper.</p>
<p>“Please Monsieur, we need your help” Valjean pleaded as he, Eponine and Cosette came out of hiding. “Please, I need safety for my Daughter’s” he implored when the man still appeared unsure.</p>
<p>It seemed God was smiling down on Jean Valjean that night as the man he encountered turned out to be Monsieur Fauchelevent, the same man he had saved from beneath his own cart just a short while ago.  He remembered what Valjean had done for him and he was eager to help both him and his children.</p>
<p>Valjean swore that they would be grateful for anything Fauchelevent could do for them and they would except any and all help that the Sisters could offer with thankful hearts.</p>
<p>As Valjean followed Fauchelevent into the warmth of the Convent he held his two Daughters close one on his hip and the other at his side. “Here our lives can start again” he promised them.</p>
<p>Neither he nor the girls knew what the future held for them but they were all sure it had to be better than the past, at least they had each other now and that was more than any of them had ever had before.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for taking the time to read, I would love to know what you think so far. Thanks again Millie xXx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter 5 cometh! Some of you guys have wondered if and when the time jump will happen, I can tell you now that it is indeed coming very soon, this is actually our last chapter with little Cosette and Eponine, so I hope you enjoy it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 5</p><p>Different flowers from the same garden.</p><p>Valjean could never have guessed just how much Fauchelevent would do for him and his girls. </p><p>He had explained to the man that his Daughters were not his by blood but he claimed they were the children of someone dear to him. He told Fauchelevent about the terrible situation he had found them in, withholding only the details that he truly couldn’t disclose. He shared enough truth to impress upon the man that it was for the girl’s sake that he and they must disappear.</p><p>Fauchelevent’s heart went out to the two little girls who had suffered much more than anyone their age should, even if their adoptive Father had not saved his life, he would still have gone out of his way to help them.</p><p>Before they had even reached the Mother Superior’s office, it had been decided that Fauchelevent would claim them all as family and plead their case to the woman who had a fearsome reputation.</p><p>Jean Valjean had lived under an assumed name before and he could do so again. He was to become Monsieur Fauchelevent’s brother Jean Fauchelevent, Eponine and Cosette were to take the name Fauchelevent also. It was not lost on the girls that this meant they had gained an Uncle the same night that they gotten a Father, neither of which shared a drop of blood with either of them.</p><p>Monsieur Fauchelevent seemed to think that the Mother Superior had a soft spot for him and that may have been the case but Valjean was inclined to believe that it was the sight of his Daughter’s that touched the woman’s heart.</p><p>She not only offered the family lodgings for as long as they needed them but also said she would send a Postulant to find the girls some more decent clothes. Said Postulant would also help him to bathe the girls and do their if he needed her to.</p><p>Valjean was beyond thankful for the woman’s kindness, so to it seem were Cosette and Eponine. As Valjean tucked them into the bed the two of them were to share while they lived in the Convent, Mother Superior was one of the first people they gave thanks for in their prayers.</p><p>The Postulant that Mother Superior had promised arrived bright and early the next morning, bringing with her not only a selection of dresses for the girls but breakfast too.</p><p>The food was simple and bland but the clothes for the girls was a different story all together. Each gown that the young woman produced was more beautiful than the last, Valjean had no idea where the Nuns had found such luxuries for his Daughters but he was incredibly grateful to them, it was more than he had dared to hope for, when he sought sanctuary with the Holy Sisters.</p><p>The Postulant was a sweet child called Josephine; she was barely out of girlhood herself having not yet reached the age of sixteen. Perhaps her young age was a contributing factor to the almost instant connection Cosette and Eponine seemed to make with her. </p><p>Josephine was able to get every tangle out of Eponine’s hair without cutting a single strand of it, which endeared her to the more guarded of his Daughters remarkably quickly. She then went on to win Cosette’s affections by regaling her with tales of her many high-spirited siblings and all the tricks she used to play on them.  </p><p>By the time Josephine was finished both Eponine and Cosette looked like different children than they had the night before and as he watched the woman interacting with his Daughters Valjean found himself learning more about them himself. </p><p>The trend that he had first noticed with their Christmas gifts carried over to the girl’s choices in dresses and even to an extent their personality’s too.
<br/>
Cosette had a clear preference for pretty things, the dresses she chose all came in soft colours, they tended to have fuller skirts and lots of lace. Eponine in contrast was more drawn to more practical dresses but she still found beauty in their simplicity. She chose natural colours like browns and greens, they also had less under skirts making them less flouncy. Eponine’s dresses could have been called plain if not for her love of embroidery, almost every gown the older girl chose had some patten or other embroidered on to them.</p><p>The girls were very different and yet somehow similar. Watching them twirl around in their new dresses Valjean recalled a story he had heard when he was a young boy, his Daughters strongly reminded him of the opposing princesses that tale had been about. Different flowers from the same garden was how they had been described and Valjean could not think of a better way to describe Cosette and Eponine.</p><p>Within the Convent the weeks passed slowly at first but soon one began to bleed into the other without Valjean even noticing. Being a Father, a role he had felt so ill suited for that first night became his reason for living.</p><p>Valjean had come to believe that every step or misstep he had ever taken was to lead him to his girls. Cosette, his Lark and Eponine his Raven were born to be his Daughters just as he was born to be their Father. </p><p>Valjean earned his families keep by helping Monsieur Fauchelevent tend to the Convent and its grounds. Josephine had been assigned the task of teaching his Daughters the basics of reading and writing. Mother Superior had promised them a place in the Convent’s school but she wished for them to have some education before their admittance.</p><p>The girls adored Josephine and it seemed to Valjean that she cared for them just as much. Cosette and Eponine learnt so much during there time with in the Convent’s walls and Valjean kept on learning about them too.</p><p>Cosette had an artistic soul, she loved to draw and took to both reading and writing quickly. Even at the young age of eight years old she was already dreaming of the fairy tale romance she was sure awaited her when she grew up. She was by far the gentlest child Valjean had ever encountered and he feared her tender heart would lead her to suffer greatly over the pains of others.</p><p>Eponine was as Valjean had suspected very different from her Sister but she was not the girl’s true opposite as he had first believed. Eponine felt for others almost as deeply as Cosette did but she went about helping them very differently. While Cosette would help up a child who had been pushed down and dust them off with kind words of comfort, Eponine would go after the person who had done the pushing and see to it that they paid for their actions, much to the Mother Superior’s displeasure. </p><p>Eponine was more outgoing and physical than Cosette, she would rather be running free through the Convent grounds than sitting quietly reading. Valjean was worried that this would negatively affect her schooling but Josephine assured him that Eponine was a bright girl and she could be highly attentive when she chose to be. The young Postulant believed that once Eponine decided to dedicate herself to her studies she would excel just as much as Cosette had.<br/>
Valjean knew that he and the girls could not remain in the Convent forever, Mother Superior herself had told him as much but he couldn’t help but wish that he and his Daughters could stay wrapped up in this place of safety for just a little longer. </p><p>Valjean did have a nice home not far from the Convent all ready for him and the girls when the time to leave finally came. He just wanted to be sure that inspector Javert had moved on in his search for Prisoner 24601. Valjean had lived well by himself in the past, he had taken on Servants and Housekeeper’s as and when he needed them but now, he needed to be more careful than ever. </p><p>In preparation for leaving the Convent Valjean found himself seeking the Mother Superior’s advice. He hoped she could suggest a trustworthy woman to fill the role of Housekeeper for him and his Daughters. He was thinking she might know a local woman or even a girl who had recently left the Convents school. Their age wasn’t as much of an issue as his ability to trust her was, the Mother Superior’s suggestion surprised him. </p><p>“You could always ask Josephine Monsieur, she is loyal to a fault and clearly loves your Daughters, I feel she would be a good fit” she told him with an unusually warm smile for such a stern woman.</p><p>“Surely, I can’t ask Josephine to leave the Convent, is she not preparing to take her vows?” Valjean asked.</p><p>“No one can question Josephine’s love for our Lord or her willingness to stay here with us but the life we lead is not for everyone. Even the most devout can find it chafing, Josephine is one of those that while they may wish to reside here, they just can’t” she explained.</p><p>“May I enquire why not?” Valjean asked feeling the need to defend the young woman that meant so much to his Daughters.<br/>
“The first task I assigned to Josephine was to stop the local children from entering our gardens. They scale the wall, then clime into our apple trees and help themselves to the fruit we grow to sustain ourselves. Josephine stopped them by climbing the tree herself and throwing the apple’s over the wall to them” the Mother Superior relayed the tale with a tone of almost fond exasperation.</p><p>“When I asked her why she did that she told me she didn’t think God would want the children to go hungry. I must say I agree with her sentiment but within these walls we can’t simply do as we please and claim to know God’s will” the woman explained.</p><p>“I knew from that moment that this was not the place for her but that same night you arrived clearly needing help and I thought perhaps there was a way I could help both you and Josephine” there was almost a pleading tone in the Mother Superior’s voice as she finished her explanation.</p><p>“If I ask her will she even want to come?” Valjean was asking himself as mush as the woman before him.</p><p>“I have no dough she will” she told him “I have known that girl since she was but a babe, I have seen her at her wildest and most wilful I have also seen her at her most devout and obedient and I promise you this I have never seen her smile as brightly as she dose when she is with your little girls. Josephine has lost a lot recently; it is nice to see her find some happiness” Valjean found himself lost for words as he took in all the Mother Superior had told him.</p><p>Josephine clearly had a tale to tell, one he had never thought to ask her about but then and there he made up his mind that the next time he saw her he would. Some part of him desperately wanted to remain in blissful ignorance because it didn’t sound like it was going to be a happy story to hear but he knew no matter what the young woman told him it would not change his mind. </p><p>If Josephine chose to come with him and his Daughters there would always be a place for her in their family. In his heart he had already come to care for the sweet Postulant that had devoted so much time to his girls, he knew both Eponine and Cosette loved her too. It seemed his little family hadn’t finished growing yet, he was to gain a Sister as well as two Daughters     </p><p>Leaving the Convent to start their lives in the outside world was somewhat bittersweet experience for the Fauchelevent family. The Convent had not only made them feel safe for the first time in a long time but it was where they had grown together and become the family they were. None of them actually wanted to leave their safe haven but they knew, or hoped at least that their lives together would get even better once they were happily settled in their own home.<br/>
Josephine had been slightly hesitant about taking on the role of Housekeeper but a long talk with Mother Superior had assured her it was the right path for her.</p><p>Valjean had all but begged the older woman not to flat out tell Josephine that she couldn’t stay, he knew hearing that would break her heart. The woman had seemed almost offended by his request.</p><p>“I love the girl dearly; do you think I would hurt her unnecessarily? She had asked him shocked by his suggestion.</p><p>Valjean had to admit that despite he stern exterior the Mother Superior had never given him reason to think her cruel. He tried apologise to the woman but she had just smiled and claimed his willingness to protect Josephine just proved to her that she was right in her assessment that the girl belonged with the Fauchelevent family.</p><p>While Josephine’s official title may have been that of Housekeeper both Eponine and Cosette had taken to calling her Aunt before they had even reached their new home.</p><p>The sad past that the Mother Superior had eluded to was the recent deaths of Josephine’s Mother and Father. Being the youngest of thirteen children many of her older siblings had offered to take her in but Josephine had always believed her future lay in the Convent so that was where she had gone. She had only arrived a few weeks before Valjean and his Daughters so her loss was still fresh but she hid her pain well, refusing to let the girls see any of it.</p><p>Valjean appreciated the young woman’s attempts to show Cosette and Eponine only the good in the world, heaven knows they needed as much light in their lives as it was possible for them to get but he insisted that with him she must be wholly truthful about what she was feeling. He desperately wanted to help the woman who had done so much for his family. He also confided in her that he had once had a younger Sister that he had lost long ago, he didn’t go into details but in that moment the two seemed to come to an understanding. </p><p>Josephine would become Jean Fauchelevent’s Sister and the girls Aunt; she may never share their name but she was family to them in every way that truly mattered.</p><p>The home Valjean for his family seemed perfect, it suited all of their needs. It was large enough for each of them to have their own room along with a library, dinning room, kitchen, a reception room and a beautiful garden. Even with all that the house wasn’t so big that it would attract too much attention from the outside world.</p><p>Valjean had seen to it that his Daughters rooms were prepared for them ahead if their arrival and he had tried to tailor them to match each girl’s tastes as best he could.</p><p>Cosette’s room was light and bright, her love of art was reflected in the many tiny birds that had been painted onto the soft pink walls. Eponine’s room had been pained to look like a woodland at dawn, just as the sun broke over the horizon. Dark, rich almost life like trees reached across the gentle purple walls.<br/>
Valjean wanted to surround his oldest child with nature that she seemed to take such joy in but he also wanted her to have a room that was just as pretty as Cosette’s. he harboured a very real fear that Eponine might see herself as secondary to her Sister.</p><p>While Valjean had never intended to leave the Tavern with two girls instead of one, he would never regret saving Eponine nor would he ever love her any less than he did Cosette. Josephine had assured him many times over that he had nothing to worry about but Valjean was swiftly learning it was a Fathers job to worry.</p><p>He had ensured that the girls rooms were furnished with equally lavish fitting, neither one of them had any more or less than the other. They also had a balcony each that over looked the garden. </p><p>Valjean had a lecture all ready for both girls about how he didn’t want to see them climbing on the balcony’s, when he mentioned to Josephine offhandedly that the lecture was more for Eponine than Cosette she surprised him by saying that in the time she had known Eponine she had never seen the girl so much as try to clime anything even when Cosette did. </p><p>As the family entered their new home for the first time Valjean was eager for his Daughters to see the rooms that he had put so much thought into but it seemed they had other ideas. That was how he found himself standing in the doorway that led to the garden watching as the girls delighted in exploring the large amount of space they now had at their disposal. </p><p>Cosette was practically sitting in the flower bed as she selected only the prettiest of blooms into the bouquet she was making for Josephine. Eponine was twirling around the lawn so fast that it was only a matter of time before she lost her footing and when she did, she collapsed into a laughing heap on the soft grass.   </p><p>It was in that moment that Valjean was finally satisfied that this really was the perfect home for his family. Here his Daughters could grow into the wonderful young women he knew they would one day become, and grow they did.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I don’t know if any of you guys remember me saying but this story was inspired by a conversation, I had with my Nan a long time ago about how much Eponine going with Cosette would have changed. Well, Valjean needing someone he could trust to help him raise the two girls was something she was sure would have had to happen, particularly with a fire cracker like Eponine in the mix (Nan’s words not mine). That is where the character of Josephine came from. </p><p>A fun little fact that I would like to share is that while Josephine is not me putting my Nan in the story the thing, she did with the apples was something that my Nan did actually do. </p><p>This was way back in the 40’s in Ireland my Nan was in her teens and she was meant to become a Nun but she fell at literally the first hurdle (again her words not mine), to be fair she had been educated at the Convent as a child and the Nun’s where pretty sure Convent life wasn’t for her before she even started but they gave her a chance anyway.  </p><p>As a child it was my favourite story and I would beg her to tell me it over and over again, so I thought I would add it as a little nod to the awesome, rebellious and free-spirited woman my Nan was.</p><p>Thanks for reading, particularly if you made it all the way thought this second note, I would love to know what you think so far.</p><p>Thanks again Millie xXx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here is chapter 6, this chapter is the time jump (sort of) it covers the ten years between the family leaving the Convent and the start of the events we see in the film/musical. This is also the most AU chapter so far, so I would love to know what you think?</p>
<p>Warning: in this chapter there is mention of an attempted assault and some fighting there are no details given and I tried to be careful with the wording of it but it is there so please be warned as I don’t want to cause anyone any destress.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 6 <br/>Family secrets</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eponine and Cosette Fauchelevent were not what anyone one would call typical Bourgeoisie girls; they were however very well liked. They like their Father were somewhat reclusive but they had been known to take tea with some of their neighbours and they had even attended some of the local dances, they were always accompanied by their Aunt, the kind but firm woman was the perfect chaperone. The only place that the whole Fauchelevent family could all be seen together was when they attended church together each Sunday morning. </p>
<p>Perhaps it was the girl’s elusiveness that made an acquaintance with them so desirable. All of the local young ladies longed to construct a friendship with them but it seemed the only companionship they needed or wanted was that of their family.</p>
<p>The girls were lovely to look at, they had caught the attention of many young men but none of them had managed to get past their fearsome chaperone yet. Their looks were not all the young ladies had to commend them, they were polite and well trained in social graces, they were also intelligent enough to carry an interesting conversation. They both danced gracefully and Eponine could play the piano as if she had been born doing so.  Cosette was an extremely talented artist, her painting had been known to move people to tears with their beauty.</p>
<p>Eponine and Cosette could have easily been the perfect ladies of society if they had been just a little less independent. </p>
<p>It had been whispered that their Father indulged the girls when it came to their education, he not only allowed them to continue studying far longer than necessary but he also encouraged them to learn as much as they could on the subjects that interested them. </p>
<p>Their interest in the arts was not unusual for young women born to wealthy families but what they did with their skills raised a few eyebrows. Cosette sold her paintings for quite large sums of money while Eponine taught the children of other wealthy families how to read and play music, she was also paid handsomely for it.</p>
<p>Many believed that young well supported ladies should no be making money themselves, they should stay home and be looked after by their Fathers until they found a husband to take over the looking after.</p>
<p>Eponine sometimes wondered just how high the neighbourhood’s eyebrows would climb if they knew what other skills their Papa had allowed them to acquire not to mention how they had chosen to use them.</p>
<p>Only weeks after moving into their new home Valjean had found his Daughters in the garden, they were dancing around each other and using tree branches as swords. Watching the play fight, he was shocked to hear Eponine instructing Cosette as if she were teaching the younger girl, he was even more surprised to discover that Eponine actually appeared to know what she was doing with her stick. </p>
<p>That was the day he learnt all about Marius Pontmercy, the only friend Eponine had ever had outside of Cosette. He found he was immensely thankful to the boy who had shared his lessons with his oldest Daughter. It didn’t surprise him that of all the lessons Eponine had been given by the boy it was the fencing lessons that she recalled the most of. Eponine was a spirited girl and her father could imagen her not being a fighter one way or another. </p>
<p>It took Valjean longer than he thought it would have to find a fencing master who was prepared to teach his Daughter, he paid the man well for both his ability and his discretion. No one could know about Eponine’s lessons, a girl leaning to fence was not the done thing and if word got out it would draw more attention than he wanted.</p>
<p>Valjean had offered Cosette the chance to learn to fence as well but his youngest Daughter preferred to walk a more peaceful path. She had actually started to learn how to use plants and herbs to make tonics, lotions and medicines, that could help to improve health. She had taken an interest in it after seeing Josephine stew up a poultice to treat a cut Eponine had received while playing in the garden.</p>
<p>Josephine taught Cosette all that she could, when there was nothing more the forma postulant could teach his Daughter Valjean found as many books on the subject as he could, so that Cosette may continue to learn for as long as she wished.</p>
<p>Eponine’s fencing master was impressed by the girl, he claimed she had a natural talent that he had rarely seen before. She was quick on her feet and even when she was just sparring, she fought as if her life was at stake. Her lessons continued for five years and she relished every moment of them.</p>
<p>When Eponine was fourteen her fencing master told her that her lessons must end, he refused to teach her any longer as he said her body had changed. She was not a little girl anymore and he could not in good conscience teach a young lady sword play.</p>
<p>He did gift her with the rapier he had had made for her to use during her lessons and he seemed genuinely sad to be losing her as a student but he had to do what he felt was right and Eponine had nothing but respect for him when they parted ways.</p>
<p>Eponine’s years of training had taught her a lot but just because she no longer had a teacher didn’t mean she was going to stop improving. She like Cosette turned to books to continue her education, she also practiced every day.</p>
<p>Valjean was incredibly proud of how dedicated both of his girls were to their learning and he was pleased to have facilitated them, that was until the rumours of Madame DeRaven began to circulate.</p>
<p>The woman first appeared shortly after Eponine’s seventeenth birthday, DeRaven was a woman of the people, she traversed the streets of Paris at night. She distributed money, medicine and comfort to those who needed them most. The poor that she helped sang her praise but the police of Paris denounced her as a menace.</p>
<p>They claimed she travelled with a sword at her hip, intent on causing harm to those she encountered and that that the things she gave away were not hers to give. They accused her of stealing every item she passed out, they even blamed her for the death of a young police officer, saying she had run him through when he had tried to apprehend her. </p>
<p>It seemed that no one knew the identity of Madame DeRaven, it was assumed she was a widow as she was always dressed in black and had never been seen without her morning vail. The longer the woman went uncaught the more tales of her nightly escapades spread and the more people wondered who she could be.</p>
<p>With every story Valjean heard the surer he became that he knew exactly who Madame DeRaven was and once again he cursed himself for his lack of foresight. Of course, him putting a sword in Eponine’s hand and teaching her how to use it would lead her to doing something well-meaning but foolish like this.</p>
<p>He knew his Daughter’s well enough to know that if Eponine really was Madame DeRaven then Cosette would not only know all about it but she would also be helping her Sister in some way or another.</p>
<p>He got the confirmation that he didn’t really need much later that night when he checked Eponine’s room long after dark and found it empty. His inspection of Cosette’s room found the younger girl sleeping but she was not in bed, she was on her window seat with a book in her lap.</p>
<p>Valjean sat himself down on Cosette’s bed watching one of his Daughters sleep while he waited for the other to return from risking her life doing who knew what. He sat there wondering how on earth he hadn’t seen what the girls were up to sooner.</p>
<p>Valjean was thankful he didn’t have to wait long for Eponine to get back, just ten minutes after he entered Cosette’s room the girl was rudely awaked by a rat-a-tat-tat, as a handful of tiny pebbles clattered against the window. </p>
<p>The look of shock and fear Cosette wore when she saw him broke Valjean’s heart, he never wanted either of the girls to fear him.</p>
<p>“Papa” she gasped clearly wanting to explain but Valjean did not give her the chance, he silenced her with a raised finger and left the room to let Eponine in.</p>
<p>Eponine bustled thought the door from the garden as so as it was opened, she seemed full of excitement and probably had plenty of stories to tell Cosette but when she saw her Father waiting for her instead of her Sister her face dropped, her look of horror was a twin of the one Cosette had worn moments ago. </p>
<p>“Papa” she too gasped but just like with Cosette Valjean did not give her a chance to speak, he could not hear what she had to say while she stood there dressed as Madame DeRaven.</p>
<p>“Change your clothes and come to the library, we have much to discuss” he to her, he spoke firmly but not unkindly, no matter what mistakes his Daughter had made he still loved her and he needed her to know that.</p>
<p>It did not surprise Valjean that when Eponine joined him in the library she did not come alone, she and Cosette entered the room hand in hand. Cosette was still in her night dress while Eponine had changed into a simple day dress. Valjean didn’t miss the way Cosette clung onto Eponine’s hand and wondered if the older girl had tried to leave her Sister behind and face him alone.</p>
<p>“It seems there is something you girls have neglected to tell me” Valjean said, indicating to the chairs opposite him. </p>
<p>Both Eponine and Cosette sunk down into a chair but Cosette never released her grip on her Sisters hand.</p>
<p>“We didn’t mean to keep it from you Papa” Eponine said softly “we heard you and Josephine talking about the slums, she said how badly the people there needed medicine and you said medicine would do them no good if they starved while they waited for it”</p>
<p>Valjean remembered the conversation Eponine spoke of very well, he and the Sister of his heart had been trying to think of a way to help the people who lived in the slums of Paris, it seemed his Daughters had beaten them to it.</p>
<p>“Cosette can make the medicines they need” Eponine went on “and we have money to spare, so I set out to distribute them” she explained.</p>
<p>“I was the one who suggested the morning vail” Cosette piped up “and that she should take her sword just in case” she added.</p>
<p>“And what of the robbery’s the police lay at your door?” Valjean asked.</p>
<p>“I haven’t stolen a single thing since I left the Inn Papa, I promise you” Eponine implored him to believe her, she hated the thought that her beloved Father might think lowly of her.</p>
<p>“And she didn’t kill anyone either” Cosette added fiercely she didn’t think for a moment that Papa would believe Eponine capable of murder but she had to be sure, for all of their sakes.</p>
<p>“Oh, my darling girls” Valjean sighed “I never would believe either of you had killed someone” he quickly assured them, reaching out to take hold of their free hands. “But where did you get the money that you give away?” he had to ask.</p>
<p>“It’s the money I earn teaching music” Eponine said quietly, she bit her lip as she spoke and Valjean’s heart sank, he knew she was hiding something from him. </p>
<p>“and from my paintings” Cosette told him and Valjean had to try very hard not to smile, even after all these years Eponine’s instinct was still to try and protect Cosette.</p>
<p>“I only intended to go there once Papa” Eponine said speaking of the slums “I was going to give out all that I had with me and be done with it but seeing the people there and how they suffer I couldn’t stop, I had to go back, I couldn’t just leave them to struggle”.</p>
<p>“We were going to tell you Papa” Cosette said “but the more Eponine went back and the longer we went without telling you, the harder it became” she explained with tears in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh, my girls” Valjean stood and pulled both of them to him hugging them close “my brave, kind hearted, girls”. He pressed a kiss to each of their foreheads.</p>
<p>“You have done what you thought right and I am proud of you for that” he told them “but this can not continue” he said firmly.</p>
<p>“Papa, you can’t ask us to stop helping people” Eponine sounded aghast.</p>
<p>“You must always help those less fortunate than yourself, my dear Raven” Valjean agreed “but not like this”.</p>
<p>“Then how do we help them?” Cosette demanded, for once sounding more forceful than her Sister.</p>
<p>Valjean had to admit that his Daughters actions had been most effective but could they not see the danger they were putting themselves in.</p>
<p>“You are risking your lives” he sighed knowing that once his Daughters set their minds and hearts on something, they were not easily changed.</p>
<p>“We know the dangers Papa” Eponine admitted “and we except them” she said firmly.</p>
<p>“Girls-” Valjean tried again but Cosette interrupted him.</p>
<p>“Papa please, don’t try to stop us” she entreated him “We have made such a big difference already, don’t ask up to turn our backs on those people, don’t ask us to pretend that we don’t feel their pain” </p>
<p>Cosette’s words his Valjean in both the heart and the conscience, had he not felt exactly the same way years ago when weighing his freedom against that of another.</p>
<p>“Papa, if not for you Cosette and I may have become those people, living in the slums, fighting for scraps of food and watching those we love get sick, knowing there is little to no chance of them getting well again” Eponine tried, desperate to make her Father why she and Cosette had to do all they could to help, even if it was dangerous.</p>
<p>“There but for the grace of God go I” Cosette intoned softly.</p>
<p>“I know you want to help, but why like this? Why not in the relative safety of the day?” their Father asked.</p>
<p>“Because that would draw more attention to us than selling painting or giving music lessons ever will” Cosette said surprising her Father once again. “Whatever it is you hide from, we hide from it too and we already attract more attention than you would like, so this is how it has to be” she said with a stony determination more common to Eponine than herself.</p>
<p>Valjean didn’t know what to say, he knew that his Daughters weren’t blind to the lengths he went to, to try and protect himself and his family but this was the first time either of them had openly discussed it with him.</p>
<p>“Please Papa, I can do this, I promise you that I can” Eponine begged while Cosette pinned him with a pleading look and Valjean knew he couldn’t refuse them. He also had a strong suspicion that if he did, they would continue with their plans anyway, at least if he helped them, he could try to ensure their safety.</p>
<p>He gave a sigh of defeat and fell back into his chair “very well” he agreed “but I have conditions” he added quickly before the girls got too excited.</p>
<p>Valjean thought his conditions were not only reasonable but he hoped they would be helpful too. Eponine was not to go out more than three times a week and she was to avoid falling into a patten of days as much as she could. Valjean was also going to invest in a number of small apartments all over the city, so Eponine would always have a bolt hole if she needed one.</p>
<p>Eponine was happy to comply with her Fathers terms, particularly when he also insisted on contributing to the money she was going to distribute. He hoped she would except his last condition as readily as the others. </p>
<p>“You must be wholly honest with me; I want to know all of what happens while you are out there” he told his Daughter firmly.</p>
<p>“Of course, Papa” she agreed almost instantly.</p>
<p>“That includes all that has already happened” he told them and his heart sank as Eponine started to bite her lip again.</p>
<p>“You want to know what happened to the officer don’t you?” she asked “the one they say I killed”.</p>
<p>Valjean responded with the barest of nods and Eponine fell back into her chair, Cosette quickly followed suit and took her Sisters hand in her own again.</p>
<p>“I happened upon him on my way home one night” Eponine said a somewhat haunted look entering her eyes. </p>
<p>“He was with one of the Lovely Ladies from the docks, he was trying to take more than she was willing to give. I couldn’t just let him do that, so I stepped into help her, it was the first real fight I had been in and it was terrifying but I won. I disarmed him and I cut his leg, there was some blood but it wasn’t deep and it wasn’t fatal” she explained getting slowly more distressed and she continued with her story.</p>
<p>“After I wounded him, I ran all the way home, I just wanted to be home and safe, that was the scariest moment of my life but I thought it was over. Then the next day, I heard that Madame DeRaven had killed a police officer but I know that I didn’t Papa” she told her Father tearfully. </p>
<p>“We see him every Sunday in church, he was on a cain for a while but he is very much alive, the police lied Papa, I don’t know why but they did, please Papa you must believe me” she pleaded with him.</p>
<p>Valjean was on his feet and hugging Eponine again in an instant “Oh, my child, I of course I believe you” he said rocking her back and forth as though she were a babe “I will always believe you” he swore.</p>
<p>Cosette soon joined the hug adding her own comfort to her Fathers. </p>
<p>Valjean and his Daughters sat there for a while, all of them glad that the evening hadn’t gone as disastrously as they had feared it might. </p>
<p>When Valjean finally crawled into his bed so much later that night that in reality it was early the next morning, he found himself adding someone to his payers for the first time in a long time.</p>
<p>“God bless Madame DeRaven, long may she defend those that cannot fight for themselves” he whispered into the darkness of his room. He didn’t know if he was more scared for or proud of his Daughters but what he did now was that he had never loved anyone as much as he loved them. </p>
<p>That had been two years ago, Madame DeRaven was still a hero to the and a menace to the police but she wasn’t the only one, there was unrest on the streets and talk of revaluation in the air. Valjean could only hope that Eponine’ alter ego wouldn’t lead her to becoming entangled with the young revolutionary’s he heard preaching on the streets, her life was dangerous enough. </p>
<p>What he had no way of knowing was that Eponine was already entangled in the revolution, unbeknownst to her she had helped to spark it but not as Madame DeRaven. </p>
<p>To the young man who had set out to lead the rebellion and change the world, she was a beautiful but mistreated flower he had found long ago, a flower he thought lost to him forever. </p>
<p>To him she would always be his Rose but to those who chose to follow him she had become the Rose of rebellion.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, there you go. I did tell you we were going AU; I hope you guys like it as it was lots of fun to write. Me and Nan were both in agreement that given the chance and the resources Eponine would want to be very hands on with helping the people of France.  Her going down the Robin Hood route was originally a joke my Grandad made while listening to us natter away but we both really liked it so, here she is Eponine Hood.</p>
<p>Thank you for taking the time to read, I would love to know what you think so far. Thanks again Millie xXx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, chapter 7 is a mammoth one I didn’t plan on it being quite so long but it ran away with me so here we are. Something else I didn’t actually plan was that this chapter would be published on my Nan’s birthday but I kind of like that it is. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as we are getting deeper into AU territory and boy, is it fun to write.</p>
<p>Warning: in this chapter you get to see Madame DeRaven in action she there is some fighting in this one, while it is in no way gory, I still wanted to give you guys a heads up.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 7<br/>Moonlight meetings </p>
<p>In the daylight the streets of Paris were a beautiful sight to see, after dark they became a labyrinth of danger. Few of the city’s residents could travel as freely during the night as they did the day but Eponine was one of them.</p>
<p>Under the sun’s bright rays, she was Eponine Fauchelevent a Bourgeoise girl whose Father indulged her longing for independence and probably allowed her to much freedom. In the soft glow of the moon she became Madame DeRaven. A wealthy widow who was determined to help those less fortunate then herself and had a habit of answering those who tried to hinder her efforts with her sword.</p>
<p>Her Father had begged her not to look for trouble and to only fight when she had no other option. Eponine had assured that she would always run rather than fight if she had the choice but one fateful night, she wasn’t given any alternative but to stand her ground, that was the night that changed everything.</p>
<p>Eponine was at the dock’s giving out the medicines that Cosette and Josephine had made for the lovely ladies there. Ever since their Father had discovered the girls secret both he and their Aunt had done all they could to help. Thanks to the addition of Josephine’s skills to Cosette’s Eponine had far more lotions and tonics to distribute than she had ever had before but there still never seemed to be enough. </p>
<p>She had just handed out the last of them when a high-pitched scream filled the air and Eponine took off running without a second thought. She found herself racing into an alley just as a lovely lady came rushing out. </p>
<p>“Please help him” the woman begged, grasping Eponine by the arms roughly, her grip was almost bruising in her desperation. “He saved me; they’re going to kill him”.</p>
<p>“Who are?” Eponine asked trying to be soothing despite the current situation. Most people assumed that behind her morning vail Madame DeRaven was a much older woman, this was an assumption that nineteen-year-old Eponine often used to her advantage. </p>
<p>“The Patron-Minette” the woman gasped and Eponine’s blood froze in her veins. </p>
<p>She avoided confrontations as often as she could but she had made a special effort not to cross paths with the Patron-Minette. They were a ruthless, brutal and viscous gang who were known for not showing an ounce of mercy to their victims. Worse yet for Eponine, Thenardier, the man she once called Father was their leader. She had gone to such great lengths to stay out of their way but this time she didn’t have a choice.  </p>
<p>“Please” the terrified woman begged again “he’s just a boy, he saved me and now they are going to kill him”</p>
<p>“Not if I have any say in the matter” Eponine assured the lovely lady before giving her a small push back towards the docks.</p>
<p>She didn’t know if this boy was one of the lady’s customer’s or just a good Samaritan that happened by but she did know that he didn’t deserve death at the hands of the Patron-Minette, no one deserved that. With one last breath to steel herself, Eponine ventured deeper into the darkness of the alley.</p>
<p>The boy as the lady had called him was not what Eponine expected but unfortunately the situation she found him in was exactly as she had feared it would be. He was crouched low to the ground and he was surrounded by four large members of the Patron-Minette, who seemed to be almost playing with him the way cats would toy with a mouse. They took turns taunting and striking him, sometimes they would lash out and purposely miss him to further torment him.  </p>
<p>The Patron-Minette hadn’t noticed her yet and if she was going to help the boy Eponine was going to have to act quickly, she didn’t pause, her innate need to protect wouldn’t allow her to. She moved forward, swinging her arm in a swift, smooth arc she bought the hilt of her sword down upon the head of the man nearest her. </p>
<p>She felt immensely grateful but a little guilty when the man she struck crumpled to the ground almost immediately. Stepping over the felled man Eponine moved to the boy’s side, she glared fiercely at the remaining men. They couldn’t see the look she shot them through her vail but the look made Eponine feel both stronger and braver.</p>
<p>“Four grown men against one boy” she spat “I thought that even the likes of you had more honour than that”</p>
<p>She didn’t know if it was her insult, the fact that she had knocked their cohort out or if her reputation had proceeded her but Eponine was relieved to see the attackers looked as uneasy as she secretly felt, they even backed away from her slightly.</p>
<p>“I’m not a boy” the young man who still lay on the floor complained.</p>
<p>“Then I suggest you get up and prove it” Eponine hissed down at him, holding her free hand out, to help him up. He accepted the assistance she offered and pulled himself to his feet. The members of the Patron-Minette were quickly regaining their confidence and Eponine was losing any advantage her surprise appearance had given her.<br/>“You must fight Monsieur” Eponine whispered to the young man at her side “if you don’t help me, we may die here” she told him honestly.</p>
<p>Eponine wasn’t sure if he had it in him to fight back against the men that attacked him but he had enough spirit to come to the aid of a lovely lady, she would have to hope that would carry him through. He probably hadn’t had to fight for anything before as he was clearly a Bourgeoisie boy. If the good condition of his clothes hadn’t told her that the colour of them would have. The coat he wore was the deepest shade of red that Eponine had ever seen, only a Bourgeoisie’s could have afforded such an item.</p>
<p>A flash of movement from the gang members abruptly ended Eponine’s ponderance of the boy beside her. The Patron-Minette were on the attack and she barely had time to think before she was slashing out with her sword.</p>
<p>The few men Eponine had fought before had tried to engage her in an actual sword fight these men were completely different from all of her previous opponents. They were brawlers with wickedly sharp knives and Eponine found herself praying she would make it through her first encounter with them.</p>
<p>The knives were Eponine’s first concern, if she could disarm the men then she and the Bourgeoisies boy might just stand a chance. She sliced the hand of the first man as she tried to knock his blade aside with her own. He took one look at his bloody hand and tore out of the alley as if hounds of hell were on his heels.</p>
<p>Eponine didn’t have time to revel in her small victory as the next gang member, a much larger man than the last came charging at her. She tried to manoeuvre and give herself space to fight him off, she knew if he managed to confine her, she would be easily overpowered by him. When her back hit the alley wall she felt a sudden swell of panic tinged with anger, she had foolishly cornered herself. </p>
<p>Thankfully the Bourgeoisies boy chose that moment to literally spring into action and he tackled the man who had been fast approaching her. The boy used the man’s own momentum to take them both to the ground and somehow managed to pin the much larger man down despite his smaller frame. He then proceeded to rain blow after blow down on the man, striking at any exposed skin his fists could reach.</p>
<p>The last member of the Patron-Minette appeared to be so shocked by what was happening around him that he was no match for Eponine, even as he tried to fight her, he kept glancing over at the boy and his cohort. The larger man had stopped fighting back but the Bourgeoisies boy had not ceased his attack.  While her opponent was distracted Eponine was able to manoeuvred herself behind him, she dealt him the same blow she had the first man and he tumbled to the ground much like his companion had.</p>
<p>Once her own fight was over, Eponine had to pull the boy from his now one-sided battel.</p>
<p>“Monsieur” she called to him softly but still the blows kept coming “please Monsieur” she said more firmly as she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. Only then did his attention shift away from the man beneath him to the woman who stood beside him.</p>
<p>He turned swiftly with a snarl and for a moment Eponine was sure he was going to strike her or at least try to.  As soon as it registered with the boy just who it was that had touched him his fist fell to his side and he face was awash with remorse.</p>
<p>“Forgive me Madame” he pleaded holding his now bloody hands out in what Eponine was sure he meant as a gesture of penitence.</p>
<p>“There is nothing to Forgive Monsieur” she assured him “but we need to leave this place quickly”, she was sure that he would need a moment to recover but she also more members of the Patron-Minette would be coming soon. Another fight with them would end very differently that the one they had just fought.</p>
<p>“Yes, of course” the boy agreed, as he got to his feet, they could both hear the tell-tale sound of many feet approaching. Weather it was the Patron-Minette or the police didn’t matter as neither would be good for them.</p>
<p>The boy grabbed Eponine by the hand and began to run through Paris’s intricately interconnected back streets, she did her best to keep up with his longer strides and not think about the blood that had been on his hands and was now on hers.</p>
<p>Eponine knew the Parisian streets far better than any Bourgeoisies girl should and she was pretty sure that the boy, who had insisted on leading her didn’t. If they weren’t careful, they would end up right back where they started. </p>
<p>“Monsieur” she protested pulling him to a stop “we are going in circles” she told him.</p>
<p>The boy looked affronted but before he could say anything someone else chimed in agreeing with her.</p>
<p>“She’s right Chief” a cheeky young voice proceeded the appearance of a young boy who perfectly matched that description.</p>
<p>“Gavroche” the older boy sighed expressing the most relief he had all night and given what he and Eponine had been through that was saying something.</p>
<p>“This way” Gavroche said quickly leading them into a smaller alley that the Bourgeoisies boy had run right past.</p>
<p>It had to be one of the few streets that Eponine had not entered during her years as Madame DeRaven so she couldn’t be sure but the alley appeared to be a dead end. She was instantly on alert wondering if Gavroche could really be trusted, was he leading them in to a trap? Her doubts vanished when they reached the wall at the end of the alley but they were replaced with a stomach-churning rush of fear. Someone had cut steps into the stone of the wall; each ledge was wide enough for Eponine’s feet to fit quite easily but they didn’t look very sturdy and there were no hand holds to help with the assent. </p>
<p>Nine-year-old Eponine would have relished the challenge the steps presented but as a woman grown, she would rather face the Patron-Minette again than even attempt to clime them.</p>
<p>Her hesitance didn’t go unnoticed by the bourgeoises boy who had already started to follow Gavroche up the steps.</p>
<p>“Don’t tell me the fearsome Madame DeRaven is scared of hights” he softly laughed as he looked down at her.</p>
<p>“Hights no” she spat “falling yes” she admitted.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry Madame” he reassured her “I won’t let you fall” he promised taking her hand in his own once more and leading her up the make shift steps.<br/>Minutes that felt like years later, the boy that Gavroche had called Chief helped her onto the roof of the building and Eponine released a huge breath of relief. </p>
<p>“Thank you, Monsieur,” she sighed moving quickly away from both him and the buildings edge.</p>
<p>“You can hide here till it’s safe to leave” Gavroche told them “no one ever comes here” he assured them proudly.</p>
<p>“Gavroche comes to the rescue again” the Chief beamed and ruffled the younger boy’s hair, for the first time Eponine realized just how handsome he really was.</p>
<p>There was something strangely familiar about his absurdly blue eyes and his somewhat unruly blond curls, Eponine was good with faces and she knew she had seen this one before but unusually for her she couldn’t quite place it.</p>
<p>“So, you’re her then?” Gavroche asked Eponine giving her an appraising look.</p>
<p>“Excuse me?” Eponine questioned, not quite sure what the boy was asking her.</p>
<p>“You’re the raven lady” he clarified.</p>
<p>“Gavroche” the older boy gasped at his young friends’ words “that is no way to speak to a lady” he rebuked him.</p>
<p>“No, it’s alright” Eponine said placing a reassuring hand on the Chief’s shoulder “people that rescue me can talk to me any way that they please” she smiled warmly at Gavroche, thankfully her vail was short enough for him to see it.</p>
<p>“Yes” she said in answer to the boy’s original question “I’m the raven lady”. </p>
<p>Eponine didn’t know what reaction she expected but it certainly wasn’t the one she got. Gavroche threw his arms around her waist and hugged her as tightly as he could. She wasn’t sure how she should react, she looked to the Chief for guidance but he seemed as lost as she was, so Eponine went with her instincts. She sank down so she was on the same level as the boy and wrapped him up in her own arms, returning his hug just as tightly. </p>
<p>“Thank you” the boy mumbled into her shoulder “Thank you, almost no one cares about us but you do, you fight for us, you care, thank you” he sounded like he might cry and Eponine feared she might too. </p>
<p>Once again, she turned to the Chief for help and thankfully this time, he seemed to have at least some clue as to what to do. He crouched down on Gavroche’s other side and placed a comforting arm around the boy’s shoulder. For a moment the three of them just stayed there, huddled in that position. Then Gavroche slowly pulled away from Eponine and turned to face his friend, the Chief.  </p>
<p>“The world is changing Gavroche” the older boy reassured “we are the one’s changing it” he reminded him “people do care, soon all will be equal” he promised.<br/>The Chief sounded like he meant every word, he spoke them with such conviction and they seemed to cheer Gavroche up but Eponine couldn’t help but see them as foolish promises that would be almost impossible to fulfil. </p>
<p>“You are part of the rebellion” she spoke her realization aloud, looking directly into the young man’s eyes for the first time. She felt her stomach drop with the thought that he might not be long for this world, rebels rarely got a happy ending. </p>
<p>“Part of it” Gavroche laughed, quickly recovering from his emotional moment and acting as if it had never happed despite the three of them still being huddled together on the roof. “He’s the leader of it” the boy said, finally fully untangling himself from Eponine.</p>
<p>“I would prefer it be called a revolution rather than a rebellion” the Chief corrected her as he got to his feet “but yes as Gavroche says I am the leader of it”</p>
<p>Eponine felt bitterly sad for the idealistic young man, she may not come from the streets but she spent enough time there to know the minds of the people and with that knowledge came the certainty that his rebellion was doomed.</p>
<p>“Rebellion’s only become revolutions when the succeed” she told him “and I fear Monsieur yours will not” she was sad to tell him so but she would not lie to him when hearing the truth might save his life.</p>
<p>She expected him to react angrily but he seemed more intrigued by than upset at her statement.</p>
<p>“Surely you of all people can see the need for change Madame” he said helping her to her feet.</p>
<p>“I do Monsieur” she agreed honestly “but a group of Bourgeoisies boys do not have the power to bring that change, at least not by force” she told him. she believed that if these students wanted to change the world, they probably could but not yet, they still had some growing up to do. </p>
<p>Eponine had heard talk of the rebellion and the boys that it was comprised of, many of them came from good families, they were getting good educations and they could ascend to positions of power one day. That was how she believed that could bring about the changes they were so desperate to see but they were young and impatient, they didn’t want to wait. </p>
<p>“Your rebellion will never become a revolution without the support of the people Monsieur” she explained “and I sorry to say, you don’t have it” she added in almost a whisper.</p>
<p>“You have not seen the crowds that gather at our rallies” he countered.</p>
<p>“No, I haven’t” Eponine admitted, she was becoming exasperated with the Bourgeoisies boy now could he not see she knew what she was talking about and she was trying to help him. </p>
<p>"I have no doubt that your pretty face and prettier words can draw a crowd but I do doubt that same crowd would stand with you against the national guard” she warned him. “The lives of the people maybe hard Monsieur but they would rather struggle on with then than die trying to change them”</p>
<p>Eponine tried so hard to make the young man see his folly, no good would come from him and his friends throwing their lives away but she could tell by the stubborn jut of his jaw he didn’t like what he was hearing.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry Monsieur, really and truly am” she said placing her hand on his forearm in an effort to comfort him “I only speak the truth in an effort to help you, if you continue with your plans of rebellion they will lead you to your death” she told him sadly.</p>
<p>The Chief seemed to take in all she had said then he gave her a firm nod and a surprisingly charming smile. </p>
<p>“I appreciate your concern Madame” he said removing her hand from his arm and taking it in both of his “I will endeavour to prove you wrong” he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand “and I will pray for your safety until the time of peace comes to France and your nightly excursions are no longer necessary”. </p>
<p>“I will pray for you too Monsieur” Eponine said gently pulling her hand free of his “I will pray that you live through your rebellion and see it to its end, whatever that may be”.</p>
<p>The Chief gave her one last smile and ruffled Gavroche’s hair again before deciding that the coast was clear enough for him to make his escape from the roof. Eponine watched him descend the make shift stairs with her heart in her mouth, she couldn’t contain her sigh of relief when he reached the ground safely.</p>
<p>“Don’t go falling for the Chief” Gavroche warned, clearly misreading her relief for something else. “He’s a man of marble, he is” the boy continued “Patria is his only love” he said referring to France itself “her and his Rose” he added.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry Gavroche, I have no intention of falling in love with him” Eponine assured the boy, she didn’t bother to ask about Rose, the rebel leaders love life was no concern of hers, getting herself down from the very high roof however was.</p>
<p>“Is there any other way down from here?” she asked Gavroche looking at the steps in the wall with palatable distain.</p>
<p>“Actually, there is” he said with a bright smile, he led her to a small hole in the roof that appeared to drop down into the hallway of the floor below.</p>
<p>Eponine didn’t like the idea of just letting herself drop down through the hole but the fall was much shorter and less deadly than a fall from to roof would have been, so she gritted her teeth and lowered herself through the hole. Gavroche quickly followed her.</p>
<p>“How do you find all these places Gavroche?” Eponine asked as they made their way down the buildings much sturdier internal stairs.</p>
<p>“You learn what you got to on the streets” Gavroche said with a shrug “and when you land here young and small, hiding is what you got to learn” he explained.</p>
<p>“How long have you been on the streets?” she wondered.</p>
<p>“Five or Six years, I think” he replied shortly.</p>
<p>“What” Eponine gasped “but you can’t be much older than nine years old” Gavroche nodded indicating she was right about his age.</p>
<p>“You have been on your own since you were three or four” she knew life could be harsh but sometimes the cruelty of it could still shock her.</p>
<p>“Better off alone than part of the Patron-Minette” Gavroche said in an almost off handed manner “besides the students are my family, they look out for me and I look out for them” he explained.</p>
<p>“How can you be sure you would have ended up in the Patron-Minette?” Eponine asked, a strange feeling of dread settling in her bones.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t have had much choice, it’s me Pa’s gang after all” Gavroche said with another shrug unaware that his words had just changed the life of the woman before him forever.</p>
<p>“The Thenardier’s are your parents?” she asked needing to be sure she understood what he was saying.</p>
<p>Gavroche just nodded, he seemed almost ashamed and Eponine could relate to him in that.</p>
<p>“Gavroche do you have any siblings?” she asked him carefully.</p>
<p>“I had a Sister” he said “she was gone before I was born”.</p>
<p>“Gone?” Eponine questioned.</p>
<p>“Yeah that’s what Pa said, she was gone, Mama said her and the serving girl were carried off by an angel, so I guess she must be dead, her name was-”</p>
<p>“Eponine” Eponine cut in “her name was Eponine and the serving girl was Cosette”.  </p>
<p>“Yeah” Gavroche suddenly looked weary “how do you know that?”</p>
<p>“Eponine isn’t dead Gavroche” she tried to explain calmly but internally she was a mess, she had a Brother and she had left him all alone with the Thenardier’s, Eponine thought she might be sick.</p>
<p>“She’s not?” Gavroche sounded more suspicious than anything else but Eponine was sure she could hear a tiny hint of hope in his voice.</p>
<p>“Cosette’s Papa came looking for her, when he found her and Eponine he took both of them away with him for a better life” she explained as best she could while still protecting her secret. As much as she wanted to sit there and tell Gavroche the whole truth, she still had Cosette, her Father and even Josephine to think about, anything she told Gavroche would affect them too.</p>
<p>“Is she safe now?” Gavroche’s question surprised Eponine, she expected him to be mad at his Sister but he just seemed concerned for her.</p>
<p>“Yes” she answered “she is happy too” she added thinking he might want to know that.</p>
<p>“Well then, I’m glad she got away” Gavroche said and he seemed to genuinely mean it.</p>
<p>“She had no way of knowing you existed Gavroche” Eponine explained “but if she had known she you were coming into the world she never would have left you alone, she would have stayed with the Thenardier’s for you” she promised and she knew it was nothing but the truth. </p>
<p>Eponine truly loved the life she had lived and she wouldn’t trade her little family for anything but she knew that the nine-year-old version of herself would not have left the Inn if she knew she was to have a Brother, she would have let Cosette go without her.    </p>
<p>“Then I’m glad she never knew” Gavroche grinned and Eponine pretty sure he stole her heart; he really was a truly selfless child. He gave a little bow and turned as if to leave, Eponine was so shocked she almost didn’t react quickly enough to stop him leaving, almost. </p>
<p>“Wait Gavroche” she called out “Do you want to meet her? Your Sister?” she asked, maybe he would say no, maybe he was happy with his life as it was. If he did say no it would break her heart but Eponine would respect his decision.</p>
<p>“Would she want to see me?” the boy wondered aloud.</p>
<p>“Once she knows of you, yes she would, more than anything” Eponine replied, hoping that her widows vail would hide the tears she could feel welling up in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Well, alright” Gavroche agreed “I live in the elephant, if I’m not there she can probably fine me with the students” he said and with that he was gone.</p>
<p>The little boy ran off as if saving a rebel leader and meeting a masked champion of the people was nothing new to him. Eponine could hear his carefree laughter ringing around her long after he had disappeared from sight. That was the moment she realised that for the second time in her relatively short life her whole world had changed.</p>
<p>She needed to get home, she had to talk to her Papa, he needed to know all about what had happened that night. Usually an encounter with the Patron-Minette and meeting the leader of the student rebellion would be big deals in and of themselves but as she made her way through the streets her mind was occupied by only one thought, Gavroche.</p>
<p>She had a Brother, he was a sweet, selfless little boy, she had left him all alone with their good for nothing parents and despite that he still wanted to meet her. Eponine had no idea what she could do for the boy or how much he would be willing to let her do for him but she had already abandoned him once, unknowingly or not and she swore she wouldn’t do it again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So Eponine and Enjolras have met again but neither of them know it yet, I do have a reason for withholding Enjolras’s name, it wasn’t just to wind you guys up, all will become clear in future chapters. Thanks for reading I would love to know what you think so far.</p>
<p>Thanks again Millie xXx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello there everyone, I have been gone for a few week’s due to the fact I work with children. With all the recent happenings I have been spending more time in work so that those who needed to could go on lock down. I am not needed in work any longer so I have now been put on lock down myself. That means I should not only should I be able to catch up on the chapters I missed but hopefully the story will be finished relatively soon as writing is what I am doing to prevent myself from going stir crazy.</p>
<p>I hope you are all doing ok, there is not much I can say or do other than wish everyone well, so I’m wishing really hard right now. Stay safe, look after yourselves and your loved ones.</p>
<p>Best wishes Millie xXx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 8<br/>Daylight reunions</p>
<p>Cosette was a dreamer, she always had been. While she was awake her head was full of hopes, wishes and fairy stories. When she slept these things made for the most beautiful of dreams, even when she was nothing more than a serving girl with cruel masters.  </p>
<p>For Eponine dreams were a very different beast, perhaps it was because her imagination had never been as fanciful or far reaching as her Sister. Eponine was more of a realist than a dreamer she always had been.  Her dreams tended to be memories of her past rather than the fantastical adventures Cosette would tell her about from her own dreams.</p>
<p>Eponine would dream of moonlight escapes and desperate flights through the streets of Paris. She dreamt of warm beds in quiet Convents and the frustrating lessons she would wake to after a night’s sleep in that very same bed. She would relive meeting her Father and Josephine for the first time. She would recall the amazing moment when her fingers first brushed against the keys of a piano and the fateful moment when her fencing master put a sword in her hand for the first time.</p>
<p>While she slept Eponine revisited so many of the important moments in her life but only from her new life, her dreams never took her back to a time before she laid eyes upon her Father, she never went back to the Inn or the time when she was known as Eponine Thenardier but that changed the night she met Gavroche. </p>
<p>Explaining the nights events to her family had taken longer than it usually did. Her Father was extremely unhappy to hear about her encounter with the Patron-Minette and he didn’t like the idea of her consorting with rebel’s either. He agreed that Eponine couldn’t have just left the boy to die but did she really have to stay and talk of revolution with him. </p>
<p>Josephine thought that the boy sounded charming and told Eponine her Father was just being overprotective again. This was a conversation the girls Papa and Aunt had quite often. Their Father wanted to wrap both Cosette and Eponine up in a blanket of safety and keep them children forever, that way he could always protect them, Josephine on the other hand feared that if he didn’t loosen his grip on them sooner or later the girls would never have a chance to find their own place in the world.</p>
<p>Aunt Josephine and Papa agreed on so many things that on the rare occasion they disagreed it tended to lead to quite a heated discussion, Eponine usually found these discussions to be very entertaining but there was no time for one of their humour’s disagreements that night. So, she pressed on with her story without giving anyone time to get worked up.<br/>While hearing about her fighting against a gang and conversing with the leader of a rebellion had caused a great deal of discussion between the members of her family, hearing about Gavroche had plunged them all into silence.</p>
<p>“Oh, Eponine” Cosette cried throwing her arms around the girl. She knew her Sister well enough to know she would be feeling some amount of guilt over what had happened to the boy, even thought there was nothing she could have done to change things. </p>
<p>“Papa we have to do something for him” the tiny blond decreed, still not releasing her hold on the older girl.  </p>
<p>Their Father agreed that of course something needed to be done for the child but he had to wonder what he would except from them. Eponine had said he was clearly happy despite the danger a life like his presented, not to mention that he himself had declared the many students of the rebellion to be his family, would he even want to add them to that number.</p>
<p>Both Cosette and Josephine were desperate to scoop the little boy up and bring him into the relative safety of their family but Eponine and her Father understood that if Gavroche chose to join them in some way, shape or form then it had to be wholly his decision or he would never be truly happy with them. </p>
<p>It was decided that Eponine would search out Gavroche after church the next day, her Father didn’t like the idea of her going out alone but the women of his family convinced him that it would be the best course of action. They didn’t want to scare Gavroche by all descending upon him at once and besides if Eponine could safely traverse the streets of Paris at night, doing the same during the day should be a simple task.</p>
<p>Eponine would talk with the boy, she would tell him of her family and how they wanted to be a part of his life and help him any way that he would allow, the rest would be up to him. He would decide if he wanted to involve himself with them and they would respect whatever choice he made. </p>
<p>When Eponine finally fell into her bed that night she was so exhausted that she didn’t think she even had enough energy left to dream but she was very, very wrong.</p>
<p>As soon as her eyes closed, memories came tumbling back form the past and she found herself reliving one of the few bright moments from the life she lived before her Papa had saved her. It was an encounter that taught her a lot about both herself and others, most importantly it taught her just how much one act of kindness can mean.</p>
<p>She was a little girl who was lost and alone in the big wide world. Thenardier had abandoned her to validate her skills. He believed that she could get herself home from Paris but he wanted proof. The better she was at finding her way around the more valuable Eponine became and he needed to know just what she was worth.</p>
<p>Eponine had no doubt she knew her way home but she wasn’t sure she would survive the journey; she was just a child after all and the world could be a dangerous place.<br/>The weather was terrible that day, the road she was walking along had become more like a river of mud than anything else, even the carriages that passed her seemed to be struggling. </p>
<p>Eponine had called out to some of the passers-by, she had implored them to stop, begged them to help her but they had all ignored her and Eponine had stopped acknowledging them hours ago. She just kept tugging along and desperately hoped that she wouldn’t be run over by the next carriage to trundle past.</p>
<p>The sun was beginning to set and Eponine’s bones had begun to ache when everything changed. Yet another carriage had rolled by her and she didn’t even bother to hope it would stop, none of the others had after all but shockingly this one did. </p>
<p>A boy a few years older than herself jumped down from the now stationary carriage, he ran towards her, the mud was so thick that his feet stuck with every step he took but he didn’t give up, he struggled to her side.</p>
<p>Eponine could hear a man and a woman, his parents she assumed calling after the boy. The man was insisting that he stop being foolish and get back into the carriage while the woman only urged him to be careful.</p>
<p>“Come on” the boy said in lieu of a greeting. He took hold of Eponine’s arm and pulled her towards the carriage.</p>
<p>The stubborn side of Eponine wanted to shake off his tight grip but she didn’t have the strength left in her to do so. As the boy dragging her along Eponine’s feet slithered through the mud behind him, when they reached his carriage the boy pushed her up the steps and practically threw her through the door.  </p>
<p>The woman who waited within was quick to react, she removed her own shawl and placed it around Eponine’s frozen shoulders, she then pulled a woollen blanket from who knew where to wrap the boy up. The lady was blond with a pretty face much like the boy, who must have been her Son, she encouraged the shivering girl to make herself comfortable on the plush velvet seat of the carriage.  </p>
<p>Eponine looked down at her rain and mud-soaked dress, she knew that the instant she touched that lovely looking seat it would be ruined forever. She hated the thought of destroying something so beautiful but the boy didn’t give her much choice, he sat himself down by the window, took Eponine by the hand again and pulled her down beside him.</p>
<p>“Charles” his Father gave the boy a clearly disapproving look, he didn’t want Eponine in his carriage and everyone present knew it.</p>
<p>“Leave the boy alone” his Mother chastise her Husband “he is being a gentleman” she said smiling warmly at both Eponine and her son.</p>
<p>The boy’s Mother spoke gently to Eponine finding out where she lived and promising to get her there before the sun rose.</p>
<p>A short while into their journey Eponine noticed that the boy’s Father referred his as Charles while His Mother called him Louie. When she asked him why he had laughed and Eponine thought it was the nicest laugh she had ever heard. </p>
<p>“My full name is Charles-Louie Enjolras” he told her “Papa prefers Charles and Mama likes Louie, so they each use a different name for me” he explained.</p>
<p>Eponine couldn’t remember the last time someone had told her something in such an open, honest manner. Her parents and their associates where always so closed off and Eponine was sure most of the things that they did tell her were lies. She felt like she owed Charles-Louie something in return for all he had done for her but she didn’t have much to give, so she offered him a compliment and her own name.</p>
<p>“I think Charles-Louie is a pretty name” she said with a beaming smile. “My name is Eponine Thenardier, I don’t have another name but my friends Cosette and Marius call me Ponine”.</p>
<p>“I think Eponine is an even prettier name” Charles-Louie said complementing her right back with an equally bright smile.</p>
<p>That was the moment that Eponine woke up, Charles-Louie’s warm smile was the last thing she saw before her eyes fluttered open and it stayed with her all morning as she got ready for church. </p>
<p>Eponine’s preferences had not changed much over the years, she still liked her dressed simple and her accessories almost non-existent but that morning she made an effort to dress down for her meeting with Gavroche. </p>
<p>She wore a warm green dress with a brown belt and boots. Tiny vines of a slightly darker green were embordered into the material of her gown in such a way that they look as thought they could have grown there naturally. She added a simple white shawl and a silver cross pendant.</p>
<p>Eponine didn’t want to overwhelm Gavroche when she met him but she still wanted to look appropriate for mass with her family. The Fauchelevent family didn’t really care about keeping up appearances but the girls had learnt early on that the best way to avoid attracting too much attention was to blend in. Neither Eponine nor Cosette did particularly well at blending in but for their Father’s sake they tried.</p>
<p>Eponine was running a brush through her hair when Josephine entered the room. </p>
<p>“There was a time when I had to do this for you” she said with a smile, she took the brush from Eponine and began to work the last of the tangles out of her thick tresses. </p>
<p>“You were the first person I ever remember brushing my hair for me” Eponine smiled back at Josephine. She was sure that Madame Thenardier must have taken care of her hair for her at some point but Eponine genuinely couldn’t recall her doing so.</p>
<p>“I remember that first morning” Josephine reminisced as she continued to brush “there were so many tangles, Mother Superior had warned me I might have to cut it all off” she said running her fingers through the now untangled curls “but even then, with it in truly sorry state, I knew I had to at least try to save such lovely hair”     </p>
<p>“I’m very glad you did” Eponine said, she had never heard that story before but she did remember the pain staking care Josephine had taken brushing through her hair that first day. “My hair was one of the few things I liked about myself back then” she admitted.</p>
<p>The fact that young Eponine would probably have struggled to forgive Josephine for cutting her hair went unspoken but both women knew it to be true. </p>
<p>“You were so scared back then” Josephine sighed sadly, Eponine looked affronted but her Aunt carried on as if she hadn’t noticed. </p>
<p>“You hid it well” the older woman admitted “you tried so had to be brave, you did everything you could to keep Cosette safe and the last thing you wanted was for anyone to know than you were just as frightened as she was but your Father saw it and so did I” she explained softly.</p>
<p>“You were just a child Eponine” Josephine said rubbing the girl’s upper arms in a comforting manner “you did as much as you could to protect Cosette but you were so young and afraid, that doesn’t mean you were weak” she reasuered the young woman. “It means you were a vulnerable little girl, just like Cosette was”</p>
<p>Josephine knew that despite how tough Eponine had been as a child there were times that she felt like she hadn’t been strong enough or hadn’t done enough to look after Cosette, these thoughts hunted her even as she grew up and strove to protect more people than anyone would ever suspect. </p>
<p>Josephine hated to think that Eponine couldn’t see herself as clearly as the rest of her family did but she also knew that the girls self-doubt ran so deep that all she could do was keep trying to show her niece just how incredible she truly was and just how deeply they all loved her. </p>
<p>“Now look at the exceptional young woman you have become” Josephine smiled at Eponine “it has been such a long time since I saw that scared little girl, you have buried her beneath your talents and your confidence. You are the strongest woman I know Eponine but last night, talking about your brother, I saw that little girl again. I know you feel like you failed him but you, my darling girl couldn’t fail anyone if you tried”.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t there for him” Eponine sighed sadly.</p>
<p>“But you will be from now on” Josephine countered “and I know as much as you hate to admit it you are nervous about meeting him today, so I thought these might help” she said presenting Eponine with a set of hair ribbons.</p>
<p>There was nothing special about the ribbons themselves, they were just simple green ribbons but attached to each of them was one of her beloved paper roses. </p>
<p>“Josephine” Eponine gasped, reaching out a hand to touch the roses almost reverently “how did you do this?” she asked unable to hide her happiness at the unexpected gift.</p>
<p>Shortly after the family had moved into their new home Josephine had found Eponine’s roses, when the girl had had explained where she had gotten them Josephine had almost cried over the sweetness of her encounter with Charles-Louie. While both Cosette and her Father knew about the roses and where they had come from only Josephine had deduced just how much they meant to Eponine.</p>
<p>“Very carefully” Josephine told her, the woman was clearly quite proud of her self.</p>
<p>Eponine couldn’t think of anything to say to express her gratitude so she didn’t say anything she just hugged her Aunt tight.</p>
<p>Leaving her family behind after church felt incredibly strange to Eponine. Usually the only time she was out alone was in the dark of the night when she was hiding behind Madame DeRaven’s morning vail.</p>
<p>During those nights she travelled with the utmost confidence, it hadn’t occurred to her that she might feel different doing so during the day but as she made her way to Gavroche’s elephant she sincerely wished she had bought a family member with her.</p>
<p>She tightly clutched both her shawl and the small brown bag she had bought with her; she knew the streets well enough to know that if she didn’t hold onto the tight, she might lose them all together.</p>
<p>Eponine was sure that some nerves were normal when tracking down your long-lost Brother but being nervous was not something she was used to, despite the life she lived and she was discovering it wasn’t something she liked. </p>
<p>It seemed Josephine was right about her roses being useful to her, Eponine knew she shouldn’t be surprised, when it came to people and what motivated them Josephine was rarely wrong.</p>
<p>The two women had attempted to use the ribbons to tie up Eponine’s hair but the wight of the roses, as light as they may be, had meant that the ribbons wouldn’t sit right. It had become clear that they weren’t going to work as actual hair ribbons but Eponine didn’t want to leave without them particularly after all the effort that Josephine had put into them, so she had ended up with a ribbon tied around each wrist.</p>
<p>Whenever she caught sight of one of the roses Eponine felt a rush of comfort not just from the efforts Josephine had put in to the gift she made of them but also from the boy who had originally given them to her.</p>
<p>Charles-Louie, was someone she had never forgotten but as the years past she had actively thought about him less and less. She couldn’t help but wonder what it was that had bought his memory back to her in such a sudden and forceful manner. Perhaps it had been meeting Gavroche and thinking about how her life might have changed had she known he existed but it felt like there was more to it than that.</p>
<p>The kindness the boy had shown Eponine had made him somewhat of a hero to the girl, in the weeks that had followed their meeting, she had waited for him to come back, hoping that she would see him again. If Eponine was being honest the younger version of herself was probably a little bit in love with the beautiful boy who had saver her at her lowest moment.</p>
<p>She had often wondered if Charles-Louie had any idea just how important his act of kindness had been to her; she had sworn she would tell him if she ever saw him again but sadly that second meeting wasn’t meant to be.</p>
<p>Eponine had been saved by her Father on a much larger scale than she had by Charles-Louis, while the boy had gotten her home safe the man had rescues her from there forever.</p>
<p>Until she discovered Gavroche Eponine’s only regrets had been not saying goodbye to Marius and not properly thanking Charles-Louie, now abandoning her Brother topped both of those. There was nothing she could about Marius or Charles-Louie but she hoped that starting today she could make amends to Gavroche.</p>
<p>Looking up at the huge plaster elephant that was in the process of slowly falling apart, Eponine wondered how she would go about even finding the boy let alone introducing herself.</p>
<p>As it turned out she needn’t have worried as he found her and much like the night before she heard him long before she caught sight of him.</p>
<p>“You Eponine?” he called his question down from a hided spot within his pachyderm home.</p>
<p>“Yes, I am” Eponine smiled up in the direction the voice had seemed to come from “are you Gavroche?” she called back even though she knew he was, she had to pretend this was her very first meeting with him.</p>
<p>Gavroche suddenly appeared a short distance above Eponine making the usually alert young woman jump. “How did you find me?” he asked, ignoring her question all together. </p>
<p>“A friend said you wouldn’t mind meeting me” she answered carefully.</p>
<p>“Which friend?” he asked as he continued his slow descent towards Eponine.</p>
<p>“The Raven Lady” she whispered up to him.</p>
<p>Apparently Gavroche liked that answer as he leapt off of the elephant’s leg and into Eponine’s arms. Eponine was immensely thankful that her reflexes were quick enough to enable her to catch him.</p>
<p>“Your really my Sister” Gavroche marvelled as he hugged her.</p>
<p>“yes, I am” she sighed as she returned his warm embrace.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Josephine was not meant to be quite as prominent in this chapter as she was in the end but she kind of took over the seine and I liked how it turned out so we got a big chunk of her in this chapter.</p>
<p>I know there seems to be an almost fandom wide agreement that Enjolras’s first name is Gabriel but I do have a reason for going with Charles-Louie which will become clear in a few chapters time. I do however agree that Gabriel is an amazingly accurate name for a character who is describes as angelically beautiful. </p>
<p>Thank you for taking the time to read, I would love to know what you think so far. Thanks again Millie xXx</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for taking the time to read, I would love to know what you think so far. Thanks again Millie xXx</p></blockquote></div></div>
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